Absol
by Mademoisella
Summary: The Absol approachs me, and I slowly back myself up until my back is pressed against a tree. Fear shoots through me when I meet its eyes. Its emerald green eyes. Before I can even utter the name of the guy that they'd once belonged to, it lunges forward. PUT ON HOLD UNTIL REWRITE IS COMPLETE.
1. Green

Hi there, thanks for clicking on the link to my story. I hope you enjoy what you are about to read and that you'll review at the end. Just letting you all know, I was inspired to write this story by three trilogies: _The_ _Hunger Games_ by Suzanne Collins, _The Wolves of Mercy Falls_ by Maggie Stiefvater, and _The Cadence of Their Fear_ by Glory For Sleep (a trilogy here on fanfiction). If you have not yet checked out any of these three stories, please be sure to do so; they're awesome! Happy reading, please review :)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except for the plot and the few characters that I made up. All information on the characters and Pokémon were provided by Serebii, Bulbapedia and my own knowledge from the anime and games. Credit goes out of the three trilogies that inspired me to write this fanfiction.

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><p><strong>Absol chapter 1<strong>

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><p>Every bone in my body is screaming for me to head back into my cabin and into bed, but I just can't resist the view of the sunset that was being offered from the deck of the cruise ship that I am currently aboard. I should probably be getting in as much sleep as possible before tonight's Pokémon Contest since I haven't gotten much of it recently, but I can't pull myself away. I know I'll probably need as much as I can get to regain my energy for tonight, though.<p>

I'm only on this cruise ship for this particular night because I had received an invitation to participate in a special contest. The invitation card had stated that only fifteen coordinators (including myself) will be participating in it. We're all supposed to be putting on individual performances with our pokémon (exactly like the appeals in a normal contest) in this contest with no battle rounds afterwards. It's just going to be one single performance that either wins the contest or loses it. I was intrigued enough about it that I've actually come to participate in it.

The sun is almost disappearing behind the horizon, casting a golden glow across the surface of the water that makes it sparkle and complements the sky. The blank orange canvas is painted with dusty purple clouds and specked with the wingull and pelipper who are sailing through the sky on their way home. Their sounds blend in with the melodious sound of the waves, providing the most soothing background music to the already-relaxing atmosphere. The beauty always manages to mystify me; I don't think I'll ever get enough of it.

After the sun has completely set and the moon has taken its place, I pull myself away from the balcony. I make sure to inhale the smell in the air one last time before I head back into the ship though because I'm absolutely in love with it; the intake of breath fills my lungs with the most refreshing scent in the world. I begin to walk back into the ship.

My bare feet pad across the mahogany wooden planks of the corridor with light slapping sounds as the PokéBalls dangling from the gold charm bracelet around my wrist clang together with the sound of marbles rubbing up against one another. I have a feeling that I'm probably annoying some of the people who are currently in their cabins with all of the noise I'm making, so I close my hand over the charm bracelet and slow my steps to stop the noise. It takes me a little longer to get to my own cabin because of it, but it doesn't matter, I'm in no particular rush anyways. Once I get to the door, I remove my hand from around my bracelet to insert the key card into the lock that permits my entrance into my room.

The room is fairly lit by the moonlight that is seeping in through the wall directly across from the wall that I am entering through. Even though it's dark outside, the wall is made up entirely of floor-to-ceiling windows and I refuse to change until the curtains are draw. My hand finds the light switch on the left side of the door and I flick it on, illuminating the room with artificial light so that I can close the curtains over the windows. With my newfound privacy, I strip out of my clothes and get into my pajamas before climbing in the large bed. I'm asleep in seconds.

I don't wake up until a good three hours later when my alarm clock goes off at exactly nine at night. I immediately prepare to get ready for the night's event by taking a shower and getting dressed in my outfit. The dress that I have chosen for the pre-show dinner is a modern cream-colored number made from silk. It's quite conservative with its jewel neckline and short sleeves, and the length only hits me a little above mid-thigh. There is a bit of soft pleating detail at the skirt and there's a self belt going around my back. Aside from the asymmetrical-cut ruffle that cascades down from my left hip, there really isn't much else to it, but I like it enough to wear it and the small silver glitter-coated clutch I chose to go with it makes up for its simplicity.

I head into the bathroom to move onto the makeup and hair part of my process next. A sultry-looking makeup and a playful berry pink lip that doesn't make me look too casual or too done up. A low, loose side chignon since I'm always lazy when it comes to my hair. I'm done in under ten minutes.

I leave the bathroom afterwards and put on a pair of peep toe slingback pumps. The tall heel does wonders for my height (considering the fact that I'm only five feet tall) and the navy blue suede gives my outfit a necessary pop of color. They're not exactly the most comfortable pair of shoes and they make me unsteady on my feet, but heels mostly never are (which is why I avoid wearing them as much as I can) and I can manage pretty well in them, so I wear them anyway. With them on, I begin to make my way to the restaurant.

I'm notified that I'm to sit with the other fourteen coordinators when I reach the double mahogany doors of the restaurant. The manager is waiting to escort me right when I enter the restaurant. "This way, Ms. Maple," he says and I follow behind him as he leads me past the lot of round tables that already have more than two people sitting at each of them.

Even though I'm used to being in front of a sea of people, I'm still pretty self-conscious to a certain degree. I'm not really paying any attention to any of these people, but I can feel a good amount of their eyes on me as I walk past them. It takes all of my control not to zip ahead of the manager so that I can get to the table sooner rather than later. Thankfully, I'm there in under a minute.

I find that the table I'm to be sitting at is the largest round table in the entire restaurant. All of the fifteen seats are pretty much occupied except for two empty seats in between my two friends, Dawn and Solidad. Aside from them, I don't really recognize anyone else among the thirteen other coordinators present at the table—either because I have forgotten them or just plain never met them—aside from Harley, but of course I'd recognize him. The guy had tried to sabotage me more times than I can count in the past, so I still recognize him regardless of his purple hair. But we've long worked things out since then, thankfully. I don't go over to greet him though; I haven't had any contact with him for years anyways.

"May!" Dawn exclaims upon seeing me. I glance at her with a smile and begin to walk over where I slide into the seat next to her. Solidad and Harley (who's sitting next to her) greet me and I am introduced to the other coordinators that I will be competing against tonight.

It isn't until after the introduction when I hear their names that I realize that I have indeed met two of them: Brianna and Robert. I was surprised that I didn't remember meeting Robert right away since the guy had always managed to win every single contest that we had participated in together in the past, but not remembering Brianna wasn't as big of a deal. I've only seen her once in person when she had participated in the Wisteria Town Contest with me a couple years ago and I haven't really heard much about her since then. To be honest, I was pretty shocked to see that she had been invited, but I'm guessing she's probably good enough to have been able to receive an invitation. I don't talk much to her at all though.

I dismiss myself to go to the bathroom not long after sitting down. I have trouble finding it at first because the restaurant is so large, but I'm able to ask a waitress for directions. I meander through the tables, walk past the stage, and head towards the sign hanging on the wall that tells me that the waitress had put me in the right direction. I turn the corner, but end up bashing into someone. I nearly lose my balance before the person's hand reaches out to grab a hold of my wrist.

"I'm so sorry," the voice of the person I bumped into says in alarm and I instantly know that it was a guy. "I should've been paying more attention."

"No, it's my fault, I should've watched where I was going," I say back, before looking into the eyes of my savior. My breath catches in my throat and disbelief washes over me the second I do. The color of the eyes shock me so much that I'm temporarily speechless.

Green, the color of emeralds.

I don't even need to look at the rest of his face to know who he was because his eyes have said it all, but his hair demands my attention, so I glance up. The color is just the same as I remember it.

Green, the color of grass.

Only one person I know would have hair like that and that very person happens to be the one who has been on my mind nearly every day for the past eight years. The one who is standing in front of me.

"Hello May, long time no see," he greets. His voice is huskier than the last time I heard it, but I recognize just the same. And as if I need anymore confirmation of who he is, he smirks. Its that trademark smirk that belongs to no one else but him.

Drew.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, there you have it: the first chapter of _Absol_. I apologize if it was a bit boring, but I couldn't just jump right into things; I needed a foundation first! The links to everything May's wearing will be on my profile by tomorrow night hopefully. Until then, please review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading. :)


	2. Performances

Before I let you go read, I'd just like to address the "too much description" and some other mistakes that everyone's been mentioning in their reviews. I know that I did have an overwhelming amount of description along with a few other mistakes, and I realized that, so I went back and fixed it up. Please keep in mind that that was only the first chapter, so, naturally, it would be filled with a little more detail as some other stories and books tend to do that as well. Everyone has something that they struggle with in their writing and for me, it's the amount of detail. I'll try to tone it down from now on. Thanks for informing me though! Happy reading, please review. :)

_**Responses to Reviews:**  
><strong>Empress Empoleon:<strong> Yeah, that was a long sentence. Sorry, I must've missed it when I went back to edit. :p And yeah, I tend to get carried away when it comes to describing clothing because I feel like if I hold back on the detail, then readers will just have trouble picturing the shoes, dress, etc. But the makeup part was unnecessary, so I did go back and fix that. Thanks for reading and pointing out my errors so that I could fix them. :)_  
><em><strong>LoveLoverGrl:<strong> Thank you!_  
><em><strong>chocolatehell:<strong> Thanks so much Samia! I'm glad you understand that everyone has something that they struggle with and, for me, that's with description. I just have this tendency to get carried away with describing things whether in real life or in writing, so I guess I accidentally brought it with me here. I will tone it down though haha. Good luck on the ACT! Thanks for taking the time out of your studying time to review regardless, that means a lot. :) I _did_ plan one! I'm going to tone it down so that it's more appropriate for a rated-T fanfic, but it's still going to happen. And my going back to school was alright, thanks! And you?_  
><em><strong>Farla:<strong> I've always capitalized any pokémon names and any time I've mentioned the word 'pokémon' for some reason! I don't know why, but I'm always tempted to do so. I don't do that for any other nouns unless their proper though._  
><em>I did go back to tone down the description bits as much as possible, but the bits I left there were necessary to keep. I fixed the part about Harley, too. It made sense when I was writing it, but I see what you were trying to say.<em>  
>"Her outfit should really not be that big of a deal."<br>_Now, I will completely accept any constructive criticism about my writing that you may have, but I just feel like that part was completely unnecessary. It's not even about giving something more importance than it needs to have, it's about providing a picture for anyone interested in seeing it. I have done the exact thing for my other story and I've received no complaints. Many authors do so as well for their stories on their profiles, so what's the big deal? You're not being forced to view the pictures; they're only there for others who are interested. Regardless, I still thank you for reading and for taking the time to review. :)_  
><em><strong>xRissychanx:<strong> Thank you very much!_  
><em><strong>AngelicSnow: <strong>Thanks :) I did fix it so that there was less detail, but the stuff I left really was essential in my opinion.  
><strong>pokediginarahina456:<strong> Thank you!  
><strong>animeartist123:<strong> Thanks :D  
><strong>pokadiginarahina456:<strong> Thank you :)  
><strong>animeartist123:<strong> Thanks so much!  
><strong>Jace'sVampiress97:<strong> Thanks for understanding and thanks for saying what you said! Here's the next chapter :)  
><strong>ObviouslyCitra:<strong> Lol, interesting will do just fine. Thank you for reading. :)  
><strong>Xxlilytiger556xX:<strong> Thank you :)_

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><p><strong>Absol chapter 2<strong>

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><p>I don't know how long it takes for me to find my voice again—one second? Two? A minute?—because I'm so busy staring at Drew, scrutinizing his face. To say that I'm shocked to see him in an understatement; horrified is more like it. I can't believe that he's actually here even though I've spent the past two months preparing myself for this exact moment. I knew that I had a chance of seeing him here from the moment I finished reading my invitation card. He's famous and successful coordinator, so of course he'd be here. But why is it still so hard for me to accept the fact that he is? And why am I still speechless? I need to say something.<p>

"Yeah, it really has been a long time," I manage.

He seems to struggle for a moment to think of something to say. I stand still and remain silent as he does so. "How have you been?" he eventually asks.

I nearly scream at him. _How have you been?_ He has the nerve to ask me how I've been after he leaves me out of the blue and cuts off contact with me for eight years? He offers me no explanation and all I get it _how have you been?_ As if he cares how I've been. It takes all of my control not to smack him across the face right then and there. I have to take a second to suppress my anger before I respond.

"I've been good, yourself?" I say, hoping to Arceus that I don't sound angry because I certainly _feel_ angry. But then I decide that I don't care if I do or not. He deserves to know how much I despise him at the moment.

"I've been alright," he answers in a voice like he detects my anger, and then we're silent again. Neither of us can think of anything to say, so we just stand still and stare at each other's face until I can no longer take his presence or the silence. I open my mouth to dismiss myself, but he beats me to it.

"I should probably be letting you get to the bathroom now. I'll see you at the table," he says with a rather awkward smile and begins to walk past me. I'm left alone standing in the hallway of the bathroom like an idiot. It seems like forever passes until I finally get myself to walk to the bathroom where I let my hair out of the chignon its in out of frustration. Then I just lean over a sink, staring at my reflection in the mirror. A distressed twenty-two year-old woman stares back at me.

It takes me a couple of minutes to return to the table after composing myself in the bathroom. I'm not even close to the table when I realize, with dread, that the empty seat next to mine is occupied by Drew. I take a deep, shaky breath to calm myself after the thought of having to sit next to him for the rest of the night makes me anxious all over again. _You can do this_, I tell myself, and I can. I will make sure that I can. I am not going to let Drew Hayden affect me.

"There you are!" Solidad exclaims after I slide into my seat. Drew turns to look at me and our eyes meet for a brief second before I look at Solidad. "Is everything alright? You were gone for a while."

I know that by "everything", she means everything between Drew and I by the way she briefly glances at him. It suddenly occurs to me that she probably knows everything about the situation. Of course she knows. Drew has always confided in her for everything, it wouldn't be an unbelievable thing if he'd confided in her in the eight years that he was away. He has always trusted Solidad more than anyone—maybe even more than he's trusted me—ever since they met after she'd beat him in his first contest. She's always been like an older sister to him, maybe even a mother. I wouldn't be surprised if she even knew the reason why he left, and I'm suddenly angry at her for keeping it from me.

But then I realize that I shouldn't be mad at her; it's not her fault. It's him I should be mad at. Maybe he didn't tell her. Maybe he's kept it to himself all this time. My anger is directed at him all over again.

"I'm fine, I just needed to clear my mind. I was getting a headache," I tell her and avoid Drew's eyes as I bring mine back to my plate of food. It's already been piled up with some of the food that has been placed on the table, but I've long lost my appetite. I do eat a couple bites, though, to convince everyone at the table that I _am_ fine.

Throughout the course of the meal, I mostly talk to Dawn and the coordinator beside her named Alec. He's a good-looking guy with the kind of dark brown hair that makes a girl itch to run her hand through it. His eyes are a brilliant shade of navy blue that sort of twinkle in the light. His smile is so white and dazzling that some of the girls at the table are briefly awestruck when they catch him smiling at me (myself included). From what he's told me, I already know by the end of dinner that he's twenty-six, single, from the Unova region and a very well-known coordinator throughout that region. For some reason, I begin to get as flirty with him as possible after I catch Drew eyeing him with disdain. I get a rush of satisfaction when Dawn comments about how good of a couple Alec and I would make and Drew's face visibly darkens.

Good. I hope I'm giving him hell.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's about time for the performances," a woman in a very professional attire informs us after arriving at out table. "If you're all finished with your meal, you should start heading back to your rooms to get ready."

Since we've all finished our meal, everyone at the table stands up and begins to walk out of the restaurant. I make sure to avoid of Drew so that I don't have to have a conversation with him. I would probably just ask him questions anyways, but though I would like to get them answered, now is not the time. I don't know how I'll react to his answers—or if he'll even give me answers to react to—so it's best not to find out now. My mind needs to be free of anything that isn't this contest.

"May!" a male voice calls to me and I keep walking, afraid it's him. A hand wraps around my wrist afterward and my heart skips a beat. To my utter relief, it's only Alec when I turn around and I smile automatically in relief. "Hi Alec," I greet.

"Hey, I called you, didn't you hear me?" he tells me.

I pretend to be confused as we resume walking. "You did? I didn't hear you," I insist.

"Maybe if you had moved that beautiful hair of yours away from your ears then you would have."

I laugh at his joke a little louder than I would've if we didn't just pass Drew. I don't glance back at him, but I feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of our heads. Just to agitate him further, I agree to let Alec escort me to my cabin. It turns out that his is a little ways down the hall from mine. At my door, we promise to wait for one another so that we can head down to the stage together before we hurriedly enter our respective cabins.

I'm pretty sure I'll be waiting for Alec since I have nothing much to do aside from change into my performance dress. It's a champagne A-line strapless mini that goes well with my purple strappy heels. There's also a white sash that runs from my right breast down to my stomach where it disappears briefly only to reappear at my left hip. From there, it elegantly cascades down to the floor and grazes it with my every step. I have it on in less than five minutes.

"Wow, you look amazing," Alec blurts, his navy blue eyes widening slightly when he sees me walking out of my room. "And I thought you looked beautiful in the last dress."

"Oh, stop it," I tell him with a laugh to make it seem like I enjoyed his compliment. His words are flattering, but I'm not taking them so seriously. "Let's get going."

Alec and I find our way to the backroom behind the stage to await being called. All of the coordinators are already here, waiting to be called onto the stage by the beautiful host, Marina Rivera. She's one of my close friends, but unlike most of my other friends, she's a PokéIdol instead of a coordinator. Most of her time is spent in studios modeling for big designers or anything Pokémon-related. She has pokémon, too, like her misdreavus, Little Miss, and feraligatr, Wani-Wani, that she manages to keep in top condition, but doesn't battle with often because she's more committed to modeling. Her name's very well-known throughout the entire world.

Brianna is the first to get called out onto the stage. She puts on a performance with her Masquerain before Solidad is called out. Then Dawn, Harley, and some of the other coordinators go after her. I barely pay attention to any of the performances, though, because Alec keeps talking to me and I'm not all that interested in them to start with. It isn't until he gets called that I actually spare his performance a glance.

Out on the stage, Alec releases his Samurott, a water-type sea lion Pokémon that looks awfully strong. At its owner's every command, it puts on an incredible performance that actually manages to entrance me enough that it seizes all of my attention. I'm so into watching it as it performs a Grass Knot that I don't notice Drew walking up to my side. He has to clear his throat to get my attention.

"He's good, isn't he?" he murmurs, referring to Alec even though his gaze is on me. I meet his eyes. "Yeah, he is," I say, and then we're speechless again as we scrutinize one another. I hate these awkward silences that have constantly been falling upon us since our first encounter in eight years just a few hours ago. They haunt me with the reminder of exactly how much has changed between us. Eight years ago, we couldn't go longer than a minute without speaking to each other if we were in the same room. Eight years later, we can't even hold a conversation for longer than ten seconds. There's an uncomfortable tug in my chest where my heart is.

We're still staring at each other when Alec comes back into the backroom. At the sight of me, a smile spreads across his face and he immediately asks me how I think he did, coming into between Drew and I as he does so. I assure him that he did great and proceed to converse with him as Drew stands behind him with a strained look on his face. He meets my eyes before he walks onto the stage after Marina calls him out. The crowd goes wild when they see him and he gives them his trademark smirk that always manages to get the girls swooning. Crowds have always reacted that way around him; he could get them roaring in seconds.

I watch as he wordlessly throws a PokéBall into the air. Instead of a Pokémon appearing from the red and white sphere, a sparkling pink haze drifts out. The entire restaurant (including the backroom) is entirely filled with a floral aroma and I immediately know who he has chosen to perform with. Sure enough, his longtime companion, Roserade, comes into view when the haze fades away. "Petal Dance," he tells it.

The grass-type pokémon begins to use Petal Dance as it floats down to the stage. Flower petals disperse from the roses that are its hands and drift down to the stage where they form into perfect pink roses. The crowd is already in awe while Drew follows up with a Razor Leaf. Roserade starts spinning like a top at his command, firing leaves out in every direction with flawless accuracy so that two leaves attaches to each flower. The crowd goes wild when Roserade lands gracefully in the center of the stage. Both it and the bed of roses sparkle beautifully in the dim light of the restaurant. Once again, the crowd erupts into applause when Drew and Roserade bow to end their performance.

"Well, that was definitely a gorgeous sight. Thank you very much for that magnificent display of accuracy and beauty Drew. I'm sure everyone enjoyed it," Marina says into the microphone and the crowd. "Now, let's all welcome the final coordinator, May Maple, onto the stage! Come on out May!"

"Go get 'em, May," Alec tells me. My friends all add to him by wishing me luck as well. I give them all a smile before I begin to walk out on the stage. Drew and I pass one another as he returns to the backroom and I leave it. "Good luck," he wishes me with a soft smile that I can't help but return. "Good job," I reply and finally appear on the stage.

The audience greets me with an unbelievably loud applause and even some whistles from a few of the male audience members. Their reaction surprises me so much that I'm almost too stunned to enlarge my PokéBall; I hadn't expected such a greeting. Once I manage to, I toss it out at the center of the stage where it opens up in midair and my Glaceon materializes from it in a white flash. The judges, who are sitting at a long table in front of the stage, nod in approval when Glaceon absorbs the white flash to make its fur sparkle and I give it the nod to start.

Glaceon begins to surround itself in an icy blue aura that seems to drain the room of its light and warmth. The darker the room gets, the colder the atmosphere becomes. Beneath its paws, ice is spreading from where it stands to the very edge of the stage. The entire surface is encased in a layer of glistening ice in seconds.

"Water Pulse," I command.

A ring of water appears around Glaceon and starts to spiral up toward the ceiling. Once it stops just short of the ceiling, Glaceon's eyes glow blue as it makes ice rise from the bottom of it all the way to the top, completely freezing the water and manipulating its shape so that it forms into a marvelous tower of ice. I give the audience a short moment to marvel at the majestic sculpture as Glaceon readys its Protect from within the tower for the conclusion of the performance. A few seconds later, I'm given my cue when the heart of the base begins to glow blue and green. I call the Hyper Beam that will bring my performance to a close.

Everyone watches as the light of the attack shoots out of the tower at random spots. The tower itself takes on a white shine that makes it glow like a light bulb before it explodes and rains down on the stage in the form of snowflakes. After the green and blue dome above Glaceon fades away, we both take a bow while I try to keep from flinching from the cold bites of the snowflakes whenever one touches my bare skin. The rush of warmth in the room is so sudden that it burns me, but I'm able to keep a smile on my face.

My performance earns me a ear-splitting amount of applause from the crowd that still continues on even after I reenter the backroom. I'm immediately pulled into a hug by Dawn who tells me, along with everyone else, that I did absolutely wonderful. I put a smile on my face and thank them all. I'm filled with such happiness from the response that I've received for my performance that the smile is actually genuine. It's even genuine for Drew when he comes up to praise me. My anger towards him seems to be absent at the moment as we smile at one another, and then we're suddenly back eight years in the past. I see my friend again.

Then the moment disappears when Alec comes up to give me a hug. "That was the most epic thing I've ever seen," he tells me and I laugh over his shoulder. Glancing up, I see that Drew's walked away from me. I can't tell if it's anger or disappointment that washes over me.

All fifteen of us in the backroom all called back onto the stage after a few minutes. We stand next to one another in a line and await for Marina to announce the winner of the contest. The suspense builds up as the spotlight jumps from one of us to the next, over and over again while the judges discuss the winner. The light has just passed me when the name of the winner is finally said. I can hardly believe who it is. The name makes my heart skip a beat.

May Maple. I've won the contest.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, there you have it. The second chapter, done and out of the way. :) Did you guys like the performances? I wanted to include more, but decided against it since the chapter was getting long. Tell me what you think in the reviews though! Thanks for reading. :)


	3. Making Up Time

I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long to get up! I had a lot of studying that I had to do this past week because of my midterms in school so most of my time was consumed. Whenever I had time to write, I spent it on writing the next chapter of my other Contestshipping fanfiction, _Love Unexpected_, because I promised my readers that I would update that story every Saturday! I'm very sorry for all of you who have been waiting for this chapter! To make up for the wait, I've made it longer so that you guys will have more to read. Now with midterms coming to an end, I'll hopefully be able to update every week now that I have more free time. Thanks for the reviews though everyone! Please keep them coming, I really appreciate it. :) Happy reading!

**_Responses to__ Reviews..._**_  
><strong>chocolatehell:<strong> Yes! Thanks so much :) And haha! I was thinking of that song when I wrote that particular sentence! :D  
><strong>Obviously Citra:<strong> Yes he does. Nice, eh? ;D  
><strong>ColbyDanielle:<strong> All of your questions will be answered in this chapter. :)  
><strong>Empress Empoleon:<strong> I could've swore that I split that sentence up when I went back to revise it, but I guess I missed it! Thanks for pointing it out! You're a life savior ;D As for the part where May notes that his eye color matches hers, I just wrote that part down to provide a better description of what _exact _shade of navy I was talking about. :p  
><strong>AngelicSnow:<strong> I love Glaceon, too! Oh heck, I love every single Eevee evolution, they're so cute! :D  
><strong>Pear-Shaped:<strong> Thank you ;)  
><strong>LoveLoverGrl:<strong> Thanks so much! :D  
><strong>Fprmr1:<strong> Thank you :D  
><strong>animeartist123:<strong> Thank you! :)  
><strong>Jace'sVampiress97:<strong> Did I? :O Woopsies, I need to revise my chapters more than once from now one hehe :p Thanks for pointing that out! I fixed it!  
><strong>Pikachufan44:<strong> Thank you very much! I'm glad you like them! :D  
><strong>Tiger Priestess:<strong> You first couple of questions will be answered in this chapter. As for the one about Drew changing into an Absol, you'll find out eventually. Thanks for reading. :)  
><strong>PokemasterHAHAHAYayGyrados:<strong> I'll try my best to do that! I'm not very familiar with the Unova region pokémon so I can't guarantee that they'll appear much in any of my pokémon fanfiction. :\_

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><p><strong>Absol chapter 3<strong>

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><p>The coordinators are allowed to leave the next day after the contest. Another ship has come to take them home, but I don't board it because I decided that I want to stick around for a while on this one. It's freezing cold where I live now, so I don't mind getting another three days away from the cold. I never have gotten along well with it since even the slightest chilly breeze could get me shivering like there was no tomorrow. Three more days apart from it is three days of bliss.<p>

In addition to wanting time away from the cold, I'm also staying on this cruise ship to make sure that I don't see Drew. If the other coordinators are leaving, then I'll bet the diamond encrusted trophy that I won last night that he must be as well. A part of me tells me to leave on the ship and talk to him, but an even bigger part tells me not to. I don't think I could stand to be near him again. Not with the mystery and uncertainty hanging over us whenever we're together. I'm probably missing out on the only chance to talk to him again for another Arceus-knows-how-many years, but I can't bring myself to care right now. I got along fine the past eight years, so I'm sure I'll get along just the same from now on.

The other part of me says probably not. I tell her to shut up.

I bounce lightly a couple of times on the diving board I am on before I dive into the large pool on the deck of the ship. Plunging into the water, I touch the bottom of the pool with the tips of my fingers before kicking back to the surface. The sun greets me when I resurface and I smooth my hair back and away from my face. The heat feels good on my back so I allow myself some time to soak up the rays as I lean back against the side of the pool. Out of my peripheral vision, I see a few guys watching me from their seats as I crane my neck back and expose my chest area. One of them even widens his eyes. I immediately climb out of the pool to wrap a towel around myself and begin to head into the ship. I hear a few words of dismay from the guys, but I ignore them and keep walking so that I can get to my cabin to change. As for what I'll do after that, I don't quite know yet.

"You know, you can't go around looking that alluring," a voice says. "It shouldn't be legal."

I turn to find the owner of the voice and discover Alec walking towards me. One corner of his lips is curved up in a friendly smirk. My eyebrow cocks at the sight of him. "Alec? What are you still doing here? I thought you left with the other coordinators."

"I could ask you the same question."

"Alright then. I'm just staying here to avoid the cold. Now your turn."

"I'm here to ask you to be my date tonight," he smiles.

"Tonight?" I ask, my eyebrow cocking again. "For what?"

"A cocktail party of some sorts at the restaurant we performed in yesterday," he informs me. Then his navy eyes widen innocently in question. "You'll go with me, right?"

I can't help but smile at his childish expression as I answer, "Sure, I'll be your date." Why not? It'll give me something to do instead of lying in my bed all night. I've got a spare dress anyways, might as well put it to good use.

"Why don't you come wait for me inside while I change?" I suggest once we reach my cabin door. Just as I expect, he doesn't decline my offer and steps in. It occurs to me after he does that it's probably a bad idea to let a guy I've only known for less than 24 hours into my room. I'm slightly wary of him after I close the door, but I convince myself that it's no big deal. Just so long as he doesn't expect or try anything then I'll be alright. I can feel him eying me rather hungrily though as I retrieve a change of clothes that's more suitable to be wearing around a cruise ship instead of a red bikini. I hurry to get dressed in the bathroom so that we can get out of my room.

"I'm thinking we should go get something to eat," I muse after walking back out. "What do you think?"

Alec smiles at me and stands up from the chair that he was occupying. He gestures at the door. "I'm thinking the same thing."

"Then let's go," I smile back and walk to the door. The past repeats itself when the person I see turning the corner of the hallway makes my breath hitch and my heart skip a beat. Why am I even surprised? Of course Arceus would be cruel enough to keep him on the cruise ship.

"Hey May," he greets with barely-there surprise as he comes up to me, as if he knew I'd be on the ship. Somehow, I think he did.

"Hi Drew, you're still on the ship," Alec says cheerily before I can after coming out from my room behind me. He places a gentle hand on my back to move me out of the way in order for him to close the door. His touch makes me slightly uncomfortable so I step closer to Drew whose face has clouded over with chagrin.

"Yep, I'm still here. I see you are, too," he replies coolly. Then he diverts his emerald gaze down to me. "Would you mind grabbing something to eat with me? I'd like to catch up with you."

"I'm afraid I already asked her," Alec inserts, once again in place of me. It's really starting to bug me, to be honest. "We were just on the way down to the court before you showed up."

"I was talking to _May_. Since when do you have the right to speak for her?" Drew snaps angrily.

Alec smirks at him cockily in response. Something about that smirk just makes something boil inside of me. "Since we—"

"Enough," I cut in with an eye roll. There, let him get a taste of what it feels like to be interrupted. "Sorry Alec, but I think I'd actually like to catch up with Drew."

It's Drew's turn to smirk cockily at Alec whose smirk has just disappeared. Just to hit two pidgeys with one stone, I add, "I'll see you tonight." Sure enough, Drew's smirk sort of falls. Alec nods his approval at my promise and walks past Drew with his cocky smirk back on his face. I start heading down the hallway in the direction of the elevator. I don't bother to wait for Drew, but I walk slow enough for him to be able to catch up with ease.

"I feel like you're trying to avoid me," he murmurs after a moment.

"I tend to become rather foreign around someone I haven't talked to in eight years," I retort without thinking. My voice sounds a little harsher than I'd intended, even in my ears. I don't know if it's the tone or the words that makes him flinch, but he does. He glances away briefly which almost makes me feel bad until he looks back at me with a little bit of anger in his eyes. This, of course, angers me as well.

"So, you're foreign around someone you've known for ages but you can be overly friendly and comfortable around someone you've just met _less than twenty-four hours_ ago? What kind of logic is that?" he asks bitterly.

"If you're referring to Alec, what makes you think I just met him? Maybe I've known him for as long as I've known you and we've been _keeping in contact_."

The hurt returns to his eyes again, but I'm not really giving an ounce of care anymore. "I have a bad feeling about him...I feel like he's just trying to get you into bed. Just...try to keep your distance," he tells me.

The audacity of him to say such a thing! I stop walking and snap around to look at him. "What makes you think you have the right to tell me what to do?" I nearly scream.

"I'm only trying to warn you!"

"And you've insulted me. Why do you even care about this anyways? It's my personal business. Butt out!"

"I care about your _personal business _because I care about _you_."

I laugh at his ridiculous statement. As if he still cares about me. Now, I'm beginning to think that he's never cared about me to begin with. "If you cared about me, you wouldn't have left," I spit out. With that, I turn back away from him and storm down the hall.

"May!" I hear him call behind me. "Can we please just talk?"

I angrily snap back around to face him and fire out a string of questions to respond to his. "Talk?" I ask incredulously. "About_ what_? What's there to talk about Drew? What's there to talk about after _eight years_ of no contact? You want to talk now? Then where were_ you _when _I_ wanted to talk in those eight years?"

He's silent for a moment, staring at me with his sad eyes and pain etched across his face. I take the time that he's speechless and turn on my heel to walk down the hallway from him. I don't even bother to go looking for Alec.

I just want some time to myself for now.

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><p>Night has arrived much too early tonight. As much as I'd like to tell Alec that I'm not in the mood to attend the party, I can't bring myself to do it. I'm too lazy to go find him anyways and I've never been the one to back out of plans at the last minute. So, instead, I'm in my bathroom pulling on a strapless wine-colored cocktail dress. I honestly don't care how I look tonight so I don't even bother to put on any makeup aside from mascara. It occurs to me as I'm walking to the door that I'll probably make it to the restaurant before Alec does, but I honestly don't care about that either. If anything, it's what I want. I'd like a little bit of extra time off from him tonight.<p>

But of course I'm not that lucky.

"May! You're ready already?" Alec exclaims when he sees me emerging from my room. He was just coming around the corner, too! If only I'd waited longer to step out. I greet him as kindly as I can and grudgingly follow him into his room when he suggests that I wait for him there. After he emerges from the bathroom, I make an effort to compliment him on how "dashing" he looks being dressed in an all black formal attire. To be honest though, I don't think he looks dashing at all. Just incredibly arrogant and unbearing.

"Let's go," he says with a childish smile and extends his hand. I try to take it with the nicest smile I can manage and begin to walk with him down to the restaurant.

Alec and I are greeted rather enthusiastically once we enter the restaurant. At first, everyone is simply intending to congratulate me on winning the contest, but when they see our intertwined hands, they begin to question about our relationship status.

"Are you guys dating?" a girl with the most mystifying purple eyes ask me. Her skin is so light that they practically pop out of her skull like amethysts. I'm too stunned for the moment to realize that I'm supposed to be answering the question. Alec beats me to it though.

"I really admire her," he says, giving my hand a squeeze, "But it's much too early for me to expect her to want to be in a relationship with me. As for now, I'd just like to enjoy a party with her as my date." With that, he pulls me away from the crowd.

"You handled that well," I tell him after he leads me to a table for refreshments. He shrugs while pouring me a glass of punch. "I'm used to it with the press being on my case all the time," he says. I can't decide if there's something cocky in this response or not.

We spend most of the night eating, spending time with Alec's friends—all of which I don't know at all—and dancing on the dance floor that wasn't present last night. He's pretty considerate throughout the night by making sure that his attention is on me so that I don't feel left out. He even gets me my food from the buffet instead of me having to do it. In return, I hold onto his hand through it all.

Once the time for the final dance of the night comes, Alec and I step onto the dance floor. His arms instantly go around my waist while my hands only go on his shoulders. The music playing is a pleasant melody with romantic lyrics that makes me a little sleepy. Our feet sway to the rhythm.

"Did you enjoy your time tonight?" he asks a quarter way into the dance. I nod in response and give him a smile. "I did, thanks for asking me to come," I say truthfully. I did actually have a pretty fun night.

"Well then," he mutters, his voice dropping to a low, seductive whisper as he leans into my ear. "Would you consider coming up to my room later on tonight?"

There goes my fun night.

So that was what tonight was all about? A plot to soften me up so that I'd get right into bed with him? How revolting of him. Drew was right all along; he _was_ just trying to get me into bed. I'm suddenly so disgusted that my dinner threatens to come back up my throat. Just when I'm starting to push away from the jerk, there's a warm hand on my back. By the darkening of Alec's face, I know who it is right away. How is it that he always has such impeccable timing?

"I don't think May has any intention of going to your room tonight," Drew says coldly from behind me, his hand still on my back.

"Since when do you have the right to speak for her?" Alec demands angrily, using Drew's exact words from this afternoon. His arms tighten around my waist possessively. I squirm uncomfortably.

"Why don't you ask her then?"

Both pair of eyes turn to me. The awkward feeling of being put on the spot washes all over my body and I feel like vomiting again. It's not a hard decision though. Spend the night in Alec's room or leave with Drew right now.

I choose the latter.

"Drew may not have the right to speak for me," I say while pulling away from Alec, "But he's right; I have no intention of going to your room tonight."

"Exactly. So don't ever attempt to get her into bed again or else I'll make sure you'll be incapable of fathering children for the rest of your life."

After the threat, Drew wraps his hand around my wrist and pulls me off the dance floor. Never have I ever seen him so angry before in my life. He's actually scary enough in this rage that a simple glare from him is enough to get Alec to back away for good.

For some reason though, I'm not the least bit scared. Even when he continues to keep his hand firmly around my wrist to tow me out of the restaurant and into the elevator, I'm not the least bit afraid of him at all. It isn't until we get out of the elevator that I realize we're not heading to my cabin. The corridor we're going down isn't familiar to me at all so I suspect that we may be going to his cabin. My suspicion's confirmed when he slides the key card into the lock. Once again, I note how relaxed I am. I'm not even the least bit nervous when I follow him into his room.

The second we enter his room, Drew lets go of my hand so that he can run it through his hair beside the bed. As he does that, I close the door behind me and take a few steps out from the shadows. I wait patiently for him to turn around to look at me. His eyes widen in surprise as if he's just now remembering that I'm in his room.

"Sorry for that," he mutters. Remnants of his fury is still in his eyes. "I just...got so angry when I heard him ask such a thing of you. For him to think that he could ever have you in that type of way just...I just lost it."

"I know," I whisper with an understanding nod. Then I sigh. "I'm sorry, too."

His emerald eyes shoot toward me with his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "_You're_ sorry? For what?"

"For not listening to you when you told me to keep my distance away from Alec," I state truthfully, sighing again. "And for getting so angry with you when you wanted to talk earlier."

I watch as Drew shakes his head at my words. "No. If anything, I should be sorry. I'm the one who left all of those years."

Silence hangs over us for a while, words absent just so we can look into each other's eyes at each other. I search his deep emerald green orbs while he stares into my sapphire blues with them. In this moment of silence, all anger I have been feeling toward him evaporates. There's no more resent toward him for leaving me without a warning. For staying away from me without any sort of communication for eight years. All that's left is this warm feeling in my stomach and an ache in my chest as I stare into the eyes of my best friend.

And then I realize that I miss him. I've always missed him, and I still miss him, even though we're in the same room. I miss him so much that it hurts, wrenching my heart in the most painful way possible. We're only a yard away from one another and even that hurts me. My feet automatically cross the distance to get to him, leaving only a foot between us.

"Why'd you leave Drew?" I ask him in a voice that barely qualifies as a whisper. He hesitates to answer for what seems to be the longest time ever. Or maybe it's just my longing to hear his answer that makes the moment he hesitates seem much longer than it really is. I have been waiting for this for eight years after all.

"I left...because I found myself growing too attached to you," he begins slowly. "I was growing so attached to you that it began to get in the way of my goal of becoming a top coordinator. Ever since the moment I decided I wanted to make coordinating my career, getting to the top had always been my goal. I worked hard and strived to become the best. Every obstacle I came across, I would always get myself through it. I knew what my goal was, and I focused entirely on reaching it. I made sure that I had nothing and no one to distract me from doing so," his voice drops to murmur as he said the next sentence, "I just never predicted that you would."

I stay silent, wanting to speak up but wanting him to go on at the same time. After a moment, he does.

"When I first met you, it never occurred to me that you'd be one. I honestly considered you another rival when I first saw you on that beach in Slateport, another coordinator I needed to beat to get to the top. But when we went from rivals to friends—to best friends—everything changed. I didn't want to beat you anymore. In fact, I wanted to help you to increase your chances of beating _me_. I was feeling myself slip. I was getting to the point where I was purposely losing contests just so I could avoid having to face you. To risk the chance of beating you. I was losing sight of what my goal was."

I had to interrupt him then. "But why didn't you just _tell_ me? You didn't have to leave! We could've worked something out—"

"Like what? Take turns with each contest? May, not only would that have held me back, but it would have held _you_ back as well. I couldn't do that. How could I ask that of you? How could I ask the girl I was falling in love with to hold herself back because of my own struggles?"

I wasn't expecting that. "Wh—what?"

"I was falling in love with you," he repeats, his eyes smoldering with such passion and sincerity that I'm left with no way to question the truth in his words. "I was falling in love with you then, and I'm in love with you now. I still am, even after all those years. I kept myself away with the hope that that would change, but it didn't. Not seeing didn't make me forget you; it only made me miss you more. I missed you so much that my life became agonizing because you were no longer in it. When I found out about this contest, I knew for a fact that you were going to be here so I had to come see you again. To tell you why I left. To apologize for leaving...to tell you that I love you, and I want you back in my life again...and that I hope you'll let me back in yours, too."

His hands grab mine, closing the final bit of distance between us while I scrutinize his face with my eyes. "Can you forgive me for being so stupid?" he whispers. His eyes bore into mine as he waits for my answer. The one I give him isn't one that either of us expects.

My lips press to his and he kisses me back feverishly after a moment. His lips on my lips, that's the only thought in my head. The kiss starts out gentle at first, as if our lips are just getting to know each other (which, in a way, they are considering it's our first kiss) but after he pulls back to look at me, a flame lights inside of his eyes. When we press our lips back together again, all of the lust and desire pours out. We stand in each other's arms, hungrily ravishing one another's mouths in a passionate kiss to make up for all of the time that was lost.

We kiss for a while until I have to pull away to catch my breath. Even then, his lips don't leave my skin. They move down to my neck, planting soft kisses over the skin as goosebumps raise underneath their touch. My hands slide down to his chest. Before I can even get a button undone, he pulls back to look at me. I'm surprised to see just how much passion is in his eyes—how can he contain it all in him?—but there's uncertainty as well. His voice is husky when he tells me, "May, I need to know how far you're willing to take this. I don't want you to regret anything."

My voice is steady and sure when I respond, because I am absolutely sure that I mean every word that I say. "The only thing I regret—and will ever regret—was all of the time that was lost between us," I tell him, "I don't want anymore time apart from you Drew."

One of his masculine hands reach up to cup my face, his thumb stroking across my cheek. He leans closer to me so that his breath fans my face as he whispers remorsefully, "I wasted so much time."

"Then let's start making up for it now," I whisper back, and my lips press back to his. He doesn't stop me this time when I reach back up to the collar of his shirt. My fingers successfully undo every last button, leaving the shirt open. As I run my hand down his chest, his hands go up to slide down the zipper of my dress.

After the piece of fabric falls to the floor, the rest just follows on its own accord.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> If the sex scene seemed a little bit familiar, then you've probably read the Contestshipping fanfiction, _You're Not Alone_, from the _Cadence Of Their Fear_ trilogy here on fanfiction by the very talented _Glory For Sleep__. _Yes, that scene was inspired by that story, but there is a difference between that scene and my scene. The _Cadence Of Their Fear_ trilogy contains three of my favorite Contestshipping stories here on fanfiction so of course I'd be inspired by it. Be sure to check it out if you haven't already. :) Hope you enjoyed, please review! Now that midterms are out of the way, hopefully I'll be able to update every week!


	4. Into the Depths

Here's the update! Finally...I know. I've been busy, sorry. :\ I really planned on getting this chapter up early this morning before school, but fanfiction wouldn't load! Then when I tried again after school, it still didn't work! The result is I'm getting it up now. Regardless of the delay, it's still here, eh? So please read and review? Happy reading. :)

_**Responses to Reviews...  
><strong>__**chocolatehell:** Did you really? Thanks for recognizing it! :D Hehe, I was going to go further with it...but then I'm trying to keep my story as rated T as possible so I had to refrain :p Sorry that it came too fast! This is going to be a rather short story so I couldn't take too long to get it in. :)  
><strong>Candy Couture:<strong> Can I say that I love your username? It's so cute! :)_  
><strong><em>Tiger Priestess:<em>**_ You'll find out in this chapter. :)  
><strong>Tanon:<strong> You probably won't read this, but in case you do, thanks for wishing me luck! And thanks for pointing that out! I must've deleted the 'e' by accident when I was going back to shorten the summary because I went over the character limit. :p  
><strong>Pokemaster:<strong> Lol, thanks!  
><strong>LoveLoverGrl:<strong> I probably should've. I went back to put one in for future readers. :)  
><strong>Empress Empoleon:<strong> She's been on a cruise ship the entire time! The contest took place on a ship! :D And I'm not describing that girl for no reason. She's not of importance, but something about the color of her eyes will be. You'll find out in the next chapter or so. ;) Anyways, I debated on whether or not to make my story fanfic rated T, even with the sex scene because I feel like the rest of the stuff I have planned isn't very rated M material. Then again, I haven't written it yet, so that may change. I'll bump up the rating whenever I need to. :)  
><strong>Obviously Citra:<strong> Haha, thank you!  
><strong>Jace'sVampiress97:<strong> Thank you! :D  
><strong>Glaceon34:<strong> Same here! :)  
><strong>Pear-Shaped:<strong> Haha! Thank you! It was a bit awkward writing it, too, believe me! :P_

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><p><strong>Absol chapter 4<strong>

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><p>The ray of sunlight seeping into the room from the curtained windows stirs me out of my sleep the next morning. My head is resting on Drew's chest when I open my eyes and a wonderfully sweet feeling washes over me when I look up at his face. He's still sleeping, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm as his face expression remains cherubic. He's so deep in sleep that I'm startled when his eyes suddenly flutter open.<p>

Drew stirs a little before he opens his eyes all the way. I'm amazed by how beautifully green they are even though he's just woken up. He blinks his emerald orbs a few times up at the ceiling before he drops them down to me. A smile comes across his lips which he presses onto the top of my head. "Good morning," he murmurs into my hair.

I'm oddly unable to meet his eyes after he pulls back to look at me, so I divert my gaze to the covers. Blush colors my cheeks. "Good morning," I say to the outline of our legs that's visible through the covers. Somehow, this makes me blush harder.

"No regrets?" he asks me after chuckling. I bring my head back up to meet his eyes in order to show that I'm not lying when I say, "None at all."

The brightest, most dazzling smile I've ever seen on anyone spreads across his lips at my words. It momentarily shocks me into silence. "Good, because last night was one of the best times of my life," he tells me. Just to distract my mind from sending blush back across my cheeks, I ask him to name a couple others.

"Well, one of them would have to be when I met you at the Slateport City Beach," he pauses to chuckle, rocking me as his chest vibrates with the motion, "We were so rude to each other back then."

"We?" I scoff incredulously. "That was all you!" He rolls his eyes at this and looks down at me. I chuckle at his expression.

"I'm just kidding," I mutter. Then I readjust myself so that I'm closer to his face and press my lips to his. Warmth spreads through me when he moves so that his body tents mine under the covers. I moan into his mouth, completely ready for a repetition of last night until he suddenly pulls away.

"As much as I'd like to continue in the direction that we're going, I am getting pretty hungry so we should probably go get some breakfast."

"To hell with breakfast," I growl, gripping his shoulders. I attempt to bring him back down, but he's able to resist with absolutely no effort. He chuckles arrogantly while I huff. Then inspiration hits me. I hum thoughtfully and wrap my arms around his neck. "Are you sure you'd prefer breakfast over me?" I murmur seductively, skimming my nose along his jawline and then stopping to press my lips to his chin. I watch as he gulps first before answering in an attempt to regain his self-control.

He fails.

"Alright, to hell with breakfast," he whispers and leans down to kiss my lips. I giggle before turning my head so that he gets my cheek instead. He pulls back to look at me in question.

"I've just decided that I'd rather get breakfast; I am feeling pretty hungry, so if you'll excuse me," I say and begin to slide down so that I can duck out from under him. One of his arms pulls me back up before I can.

"Don't you dare go anywhere," he growls.

I laugh and wrap my arms back around his neck. "Just so long as you don't go anywhere either."

His eyes smolder with sincerity when he promises me, "I'm never going anywhere anymore unless you're with me."

And with that, he leans down to press his lips to mine and we have a repetition of last night for breakfast.

* * *

><p>We spend the day together after rediscovering life outside of his cabin room, relishing in each other's company. The news of what happened last night at the restaurant seems to have spread like wildfire because many people inquire about our current relationship statuses. Either that, or they all just notice how our intertwined hands have yet to release one another.<p>

"So, does this mean that May's officially off the market?" an orange-eyed guy I recognize from the pool asks Drew. It's a good question, actually; I'd like to know myself if I am or not. All eyes turn to Drew to wait for his answer.

"Yes. As of last night, she has officially gone off the market for good," he tells everyone, and turns to look down at me with a smile. The way he watches me is filled with such intense love and adoration that it sends a warm, fuzzy feeling throughout my body. It's like he was a blind man who's just now seeing light for the first time. I never thought that it'd be possible for someone to stare at another in such a way, but Drew has proven me wrong. I almost have to look away, but I'm so happy that I'm able to smile.

And did he really just say that I've gone off the market for good?

"That's just too bad. That means Drew's off the market, too," I hear a girl whisper from behind me. I almost laugh at the words.

"Well, I believe May and I need to get going so that we may grab some lunch. Excuse us please," Drew says to excuse us and begins to pull me away.

"The people on this ship are like paparazzi," I state after we get away. He chuckles to show his agreement while leading me to a random café that I haven't gone into yet. The smell of coffee hits me in the face before we even get inside. It's so incredibly mouthwatering.

Our orders are placed in front of us a couple of minutes after we're seated. We hold hands over the table as we eat, unwilling to let go because of the time we've already spent apart. As we do so, we catch back up with one another again, filling each other in on all of the stuff that had happened in the past eight years. It turns out we both have been living practically the same life so there's not much to fill in on. Coordinating, hanging with our small circle of friends, spending time with family...the normal stuff. We don't ask each other about any of the people we have been with throughout the years, though. I certainly don't want to hear about any of the girls in his life before me and I'm sure the same goes for him. We're both content with leaving the past in the past.

Drew and I leave the café after we finish and pay for our meal. The sun seems to have begun to set unusually early today—even though it's the summertime—because the light that comes through the glass dome ceiling begins to turn orange. Already the ship's light are beginning to brighten in order to illuminate the ship for its passengers. Seeing this, Drew gives me a cheeky smile while he tugs on my hand. "Let's go to the deck and see if we can catch the sunset," he says. I agree and follow him out onto the deck.

The sunset outside is just as breathtaking as it always is. The bright yellow orb that is the sun is setting behind the horizon, casting its final glow for the day before the night sets in. Drew comes behind me and wraps his arms around my waist as I stand behind the railing. He leans down to rest his chin on my shoulder which makes me smile. We're the only ones out on the deck at this time, so I'm able to enjoy the sunset all alone with him. Content washes over me as I lean into his chest. For the first time since I've seen him again on this cruise ship, the silence that hangs over us is comfortable.

Then Drew breaks the silence when he asks if I regret what happened between us last night. I stiffen underneath his touch; that really does beg the question: _do_ I regret what happened last night? Do I regret letting him take me away from Alec even though I was perfectly capable of doing so on my own? Do I regret following him to his room instead of mine? Do I regret standing still and listening to his explanation and apology for his eight year absence? Do I regret initiating the first kiss (ever) between us that conjured the desire and lust? Do I regret making love to my best friend? Do I regret rekindling our friendship and starting a relationship?

The answer is the same for all of those questions.

"No," I state surely, turning in his arms so that my eyes can stare into his in order to show him how sincere I am. He stares back at me with those beautiful green eyes of his. "I don't regret a second of it. I told you last night, I won't ever regret anything with you. The only thing that I'll ever regret between us is the eight years that we spent apart. I don't ever want to be apart from you again."

An endearing smile graces his features, his eyes softening with affection. "The same goes for me," he whispers, leaning toward me to press his forehead to mine. His breath fans my face as he promises me that we'll never be apart again, not if he can help it. "I'll never leave your side again. From last night until forever, I'll be with you every step of the way."

And then he descends his lips on mine. I sigh contently into his mouth as I melt into his embrace. My hands reach up to cup his face while his arms tighten their hold around my waist, holding me as close to him as possible. I don't know how long we kiss exactly, but we do for a while, engaging in the most meaningful kiss we've shared yet. Our tongues dance with one another like a couple dancing the tango on the dance floor. I'm breathless by the time he pulls away to press his forehead back to mine again. We both take a moment to catch our breaths.

"I have something to give you, can you wait for me here while I go get it from my room?" he mutters after he catches his.

I nod and smile before I lean in to kiss him again.

"Don't keep me waiting long," I tell him. He smiles back to me again. "I'll be back before the stars come out," he assures me, and then he pulls away to head back into the cruise ship. I turn back around to face the ocean as I wait for him.

"Oh, hi May, I didn't expect to see you out here," a voice pipes after a few minutes. I snap around, surprised at the sound after getting accustomed to the silence. My heartbeat slows down when I see that it is only Brianna. The smile on her face turns apologetic after she sees that she'd startled me. "Sorry, I didn't me to scare you."

"It's alright, I wasn't paying attention, that's all," I insist, returning her smile timidly.

Brianna chuckles awkwardly. Then she asks, "Where's Drew? I was going to congratulate you guys on the relationship if I ever saw you guys today."

"He went back inside to get something from his cabin. He should be out soon, but I'll thank you now on his behalf."

"So, it's official, huh? You guys are like the golden coordinating couple. Everyone's been talking about you guys today."

I smile to myself, but not at the fact that she called us the Golden Coordinating Couple. It's just at the fact that Drew and I are really together now. She beams happily at the sight of my smile and she laughs. "I'll take that as a yes. Congratulations May. He's a prize, hold onto him."

"Thanks Brianna, I plan on it," I say, laughing along with her.

"Good. Be sure to, you guys are good together," she replies. "Now, I think I'm going to head back inside. It's getting pretty cold and I don't want to be in the way when Drew comes back. Good night May."

I smile to myself after she takes her leave. Hearing all of that from the girl that used to harbor a huge crush on Drew puts me at ease. The feeling of acceptance has always been a sweet thing and I relish in it while I continue to wait for Drew. The stars have yet to come out yet, so, so far, he's keeping his promise.

People from within the ship begin to head out onto the deck so that I'm no longer alone. None come to disturb as they are caught up in their conversations. I let my eyes scan the crowd, sparing every other person a glance to occupy myself. I stare at a particular couple longer, though, when I see the way that the guy is staring down at the girl. The look in his dark green eyes is filled with the same amount of affection as he looks at the girl in his arms as Drew's when he looked at me. It's endearing to watch, but I don't want to look like a creep so I turn away. Drew will be out at any moment now.

Suddenly, the ship jerks to a stop beneath my feet. The movement is so sudden and forceful that it almost throws me over the railing. My hands grip the bar so hard that my knuckles turn white. A shaky gasp escapes my lips while I lurch forward, joined by the cries of alarm from those on the deck. It surprises me to see the air make a ghost of my breath and feel the bitter sting of ice beneath my hands. I flinch away immediately. When did it get so cold?

"What the hell was that?" a guy demands. That's a great question, actually, I'd like to know the answer to that myself.

A male voice blares out from the speakers hanging from the poles scattered throughout the deck. The frantic conversations on the deck seizes as everyone detects the hysteria that seems to be threatening to ooze into the voice as the speaker cries out in fear. "_Don't hurt me, please don't hurt me_," the man begs. "_Please. Don't—_"

His doesn't get to finish because his voice is cut off by his own blood-gurgling scream.

There is silence for a moment. I remain still, only my eyes moving and my mouth hanging open in shock. I scan the crowd, trying to find proof that anyone else heard what I just heard. Proof that what I heard wasn't just a figment of my imagination. To my horror, everyone else's faces are fixed into the same fearful expression. They heard it, too.

My eyes sweep across the crowd again, but this time I'm looking for something else. Thankfully, I spot the head of green amongst the crowd of people. I begin to make my way to it.

Screams fill the air when the lights inside and outside of the ship suddenly explode, raining glass shards down on everyone. The pieces are small, but I hear the cries of pain as some of them get into the eyes of those who hadn't closed them fast enough. I fall to the ground with my hands clamped over my ears as the noise claws at my eardrums. I keep my eyes clamped shut until I can't feel glass shards raining down anymore. Then, very slowly, I begin to open my eyes again. The head of green is my exact line of vision, only a few feet away.

My only thought is to get to Drew. I run through the crowd of screaming people, trying desperately to reach the head of green hair. Almost all of the passengers on the ship have made their way onto the deck after the announcement. They're all probably fearing that whoever it is (or whatever) killed that man is probably lurking within the ship. It's becoming so crowded that I feel as if I'm running through water, but I still persist. I run and call his name at the same time to get his attention. He hears my voice and turns in a circle, his head snapping from side to side in search of me, but he doesn't see me.

"Drew!" I call one more time. I'm only a couple feet away from him now so he hears me loud and clear. His head snaps in my direction, but before he even sees me, an ear-splitting blast erupts from the middle of the ship. The explosion throws debris and powerful gusts of air in every direction, causing the people who have been standing to fall to the ground. It shakes the whole ship hard like an earthquake, rattling the whole thing and coursing fear through my veins. A sharp pain shoots up my back when I fall down hard. I cry out, but my cry of pain is drowned out by the others.

Next thing I know, the ship is splitting in half and everyone is plunging into the depths of the sea.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, what'd you guys think? Very Titanic-esque, no? The plot is going to start rolling next chapter. Please look forward to it until then! No promises that it'll be up next week, but I'll try my best! Thanks for reading! Please be sure to review. :)


	5. Purple Irises

**Responses_ to Reviews...  
>Empress<em>_ Empoleon:_**_I just might when I get further into the story; depends on how descriptive I want to be when writing some of the scenes. We shall see :) And __the _girl's_ not important, but her _eyes_ are. You'll be finding out why when you read on! And haha! I didn't mean the story itself! I just meant the shipwreck scene! No comment about everything else, though, I'll just be spoiling the story. ;)  
><strong>Jace'sVampiress97:<strong> Lolz! Sorry, here's the next chapter! Cliffhangers are inevitable with me, unfortunately :P  
><strong>chocolatehell:<strong> Woopsies, I guess I neglected to write out Drew's fear throughout the entire thing. He didn't know it was going to happen; he was just as afraid as May was! Lol, sorry for the confusion! And his disappearance has _nothing_ to do with him becoming an absol, that I can tell you now! Sorry haha :P Good theory though! Thanks for the long review! :D  
><strong>Pear-Shaped:<strong> Haha, I don't think there's going to be any more cuteness in this story for a while :P  
><strong>Saikono-san:<strong> Well, now you'll find out? :)  
><strong>LoveLoverGrl:<strong> Haha, success! I got what I was going for!  
><em>_**Tiger Priestess:** Haha, I forgot them, too. :P  
><strong>Glaceon34:<strong> You have such an adorable avatar picture! I love Glaceon! :)  
><strong>splitheart1120:<strong> Well, May's guaranteed to have survived considering she _is_ the narrator. :P  
><strong>Pokemaster:<strong> Haha! Always expect cliffhangers from me, I can't help it!  
><strong>light-chiix3:<strong> Do I really? I'm really happy that I do! Thanks so much! :D And I honestly had this story's entire plot planned out weeks before that ship sunk! When I first read about it, my face went something like this lol: O_O  
><strong>FlygonFan:<strong> I've actually never read that story before! Is it any good? I may have to go check it out! And psh, it's fine. I read rated M material when I was 13, too. xD Thank you very much! One thing I can tell you though is (I hope this doesn't disappoint you): May isn't going to turn into a pokémon. As for why, you'll find out soon enough in a future chapter. :)  
><strong>Candy Couture:<strong> It isn't, it's only the beginning. :) _

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><p><strong>Absol chapter 5<strong>

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><p>The sunlight burning my back and the icy cold waves lapping at my legs coaxes me out of the dark realm of unconsciousness. I don't know how long it's been since I've entered it; minutes, hours, days, or weeks...I really don't know. Every part of my body aches, including the areas that I never even knew existed. My chest, my back, my legs, my navel—everything. It even hurts to open my eyes, but I can't tell if the sunlight has any blame in that or not. I slowly pry them open, though, one millimeter at a time, taking in a little bit more of my surroundings the more I open them.<p>

Sand's the first thing I see. A vast expanse of it that goes on and on for what seems to be endlessly like a desert. It's everywhere: in my ears, in my shoes, in between my fingers. The only break from it seems to be the ocean just south of where I am laying. I can still feel the waves lapping over my legs, hear them kissing the shore. But that offers little comfort; it's just as endless as the sand except it's an endless amount of water. A _deep_ and endless amount of water.

Where am I?

My entire body screams in protest as I finally decide to move something other than my eyes. I push with as much strength as I can muster, my hands and knees sinking into the sand below me as I force myself up on all fours. My hair falls over my shoulders as I do so, hanging down in front of me in strings. I make a sound in the back of my throat to express my chagrin when I see the clumps of sand entangled in the strands. I glance away to avoid looking at the eyesore.

Huh, there's another break to all of this sand after all; a forest grows to the north of me. A multitudinous amount of plant life. An abundance of every green tree, fern or bush I can think of and them some. So much green it makes my eyes hurt.

_Green_.

Drew.

Everything comes back to me in an instant. The fear jolts through me and I force myself up on my feet. Suddenly, I remember everything about that night. Drew leaving me to retrieve a gift that I didn't receive. The jerk of the ship that almost sent me flying over the railing. The blood-gurgling scream from a guy on the ship. The loud explosion of all the lights. The ship snapping in half and everyone falling in the ocean. Not having been able to reach Drew even though he was only a short distance away from me.

Arceus..._Drew_.

Three questions pass through my brain.

_Did he not make it out of the wreck?_

_Where is he?_

_Is he still alive?_

"Drew!" I cry out in angst, hoping with all my might that he's out here somewhere and well enough to respond. "Drew!"

I continue to call his name again and again as I jog along the sand. Tears sting my eyes as I continue to get no response. This just isn't fair. He can't be gone, not after he just came back into my life. Why did this have to happen?

"Drew!"

It's probably not the best idea for me to be screaming his name considering I have no idea of what lives on this island. I could be attracting dozens of unwanted company with every time I call out Drew's name. There's probably one running in the direction of my voice right now.

But I can't help it. I wake up alone on an island after surviving a shipwreck and I don't even know when exactly it took place. I'm bound to be hysterical and panicked, especially after I discover that I don't even have my PokéBalls with me. The bracelet that I've always kept them attached on is absent from my wrist. I have nothing with me. Drew's gone. My pokémon are gone.

I'm all alone on this island.

My knees buckle out from beneath me and I fall to the sand in despair. How could it be? How could this have happened? Out of all people this could've happened to, why'd it have to happen to me? How can I possibly get off of this island without anything or anyone to assist me? I don't want to die here, especially when I haven't even gotten the chance to tell everyone I love goodbye.

Why did this have to happen to me?

I feel like I'd do better on my own if I weren't unaware of Drew and my glaceon's whereabouts. It'd be better if I knew for a fact that they were safe at home instead of wondering where they are. If they survived or not.

Oh Arceus, I hope they survived.

But that's all I can do. Hope. Hope that they survived. Hope that they're okay. Hope that that shipwreck didn't take them from this world.

But I doubt I'll ever get those answers, not if I'm stranded on this island.

I'll die without ever knowing if they're okay.

The sound of branches cracking beneath a heavy weight makes me snap my head up. I turn my head in the direction that I heard the sound and squint to make out the outline of whatever it is that conjured the noise.

A big mightyena comes into focus.

For a moment, I'm incredibly intrigued by this pokémon. It's not like I've never seen a mightyena before, no. But one of this size? It's a first. This mightyena has to be at least twice the size of any of the full grown mightyena I've seen before in my lifetime. Its fur is longer and shaggier, but still the same grey save for the black that grew along its back and colored its feet and tail. Its claws look as if they could slice through steel and I can see the tips of its teeth peeking out from its closed snout.

But none of those traits are what catches my attention, it's its _eyes_. The common yellow scleras and red irises aren't present in its eye sockets.

White scleras and purple irises are.

I'm frozen in place, mystified by the striking shade of purple that is the color of its irises. I've never seen a mightyena with such oddly colored eyes and I doubt anyone has either. There's something so incredibly unusual about them besides their colors, something else that seems to make them appear almost human. It's as if someone's taken the eyes of a human being and placed them into that mightyena. But whose eyes are those? And why do they seem so familiar?

Then I remember.

The girl from the cruise ship.

My breath catches in my throat. It's her eyes, I know it. She's the only one I've ever seen with such a striking purple coloring to her eyes. It has to be her eyes.

Or _been_ her eyes.

It has to mean that she's dead if her eyes on in that mightyena. Either that or someone managed to transform her into one. But who could do either option? Were they even possible? If they were, why would anyone do such a thing?

Something flickers in the eyes as I take a deep, shaky breath at the realization. Something so similar to hunger, or bloodlust to be precise.

_Bloodlust_. Lust for _my_ blood.

Without another second's warning, the mightyena snarls, baring all of its razor sharp fangs, and charges straight at me.

My first instinct is to run. I turn around and my legs kick off, elongating the distance between me and the mightyena as much as possible. I run so hard that my lungs begin to hurt and my breath explodes out of me in short and painful rushes, but still I persist. I hear its enraged snarl from behind me and the pounding of its large paws beating into the ground, growing so close that I have to spare a glance over my shoulder to see how much I am beating it in distance.

It's not very much. We're only about four yards apart. Too close for my comfort.

And it's still gaining up on me with ease.

More breaths explode out of me as I force myself to run faster. My strides become longer, my legs now breaking into a sprint. I don't know why this mightyena is pursuing me with such vigor nor do I know if I had mistaken that look in its purple eyes to be one with the intent to kill. But I do know that no ordinary mightyena would pursue a human being with such vehemence and no ordinary mightyena—no matter how well trained or how powerful it is—would be of such a massive size. And it most definitely would _not_ have purple eyes; purple eyes that once belonged to a human.

I break through the trees without thinking and dash into the forest. Ducking, swerving, leaping—anything that'll prevent me from colliding with an obstacle that'll assist the mightyena in getting any closer to me. I don't know if I will be able to outrun the pokémon, but I try anyways. Despite the screams of protest coming from my legs, I will them to keep going. I swerve around the trees, crushing branches and leaves beneath my feet, and leap over any obstacles like rocks or logs. I am like an arrow being shot through the forest, zooming forward in a straight path. I can't let that mightyena catch me, but it sounds so close. I sneak another glance over my shoulder.

It's catching up.

I failed to notice the disappearance of the land I've been running across on up ahead of me. I barely manage to stop when I reach the edge of it, but thankfully, I skid to a halt before I'm thrown over. The rocks and sand slide off from underneath my shoes and fall into the ravine below me. It's too dark for me to see what lurks inside it, but at this moment in my life, I honestly don't think I care. I only have two choices now: get mauled to death by a bloodthirsty mightyena, or take a leap into the unknown for a chance of survival.

The choice is simple when I turn to look once again at the rapidly approaching mightyena.

I choose the latter.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Another cliffhanger...woopsies. :P Sorry guys! And sorry again for this chapter being rather short. I have most of the next chapter written already, so if all works out, I should have the next chapter up around the upcoming Wednesday. The latest will be Sunday, I promise. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please review! :)


	6. Rediscovering Emeralds

I did promise I'd update today, didn't I? Kept my promise, eh? Reward me with reviews? :)

Your theories were all very good! But I'm not going to commenting about them, you'll find out eventually; this _is_ going to be a short story after all. :) Well, without further ado, happy reading and please review!

**_Responses to Reviews...  
><em>****_Fprmr1:_**_ Thank you so much!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:** Haha, thank you!  
><em>_**chocolatehell:** I couldn't bring myself to watch _Lost_! Too many episodes to keep up with! D: And to be honest, the show kind of bored me, hehe. :P  
><em>_**splitheart1120:** Ooh, you're smart. :)  
><em>_**Empress Empoleon:** Hehe, thank you! I changed the 'etc' thing; you were right! And I did watch that episode! As a matter of fact, I watched every single episode from the original season with all of the Kanto region pokémon! It _is_ similar to that, yes, but slightly different. You'll see the differences soon. :)  
><strong>Tiger Priestess:<strong> Good theory. :)  
><strong>Glaceon34:<strong> Sorry about the shortness, I did feel it was rather short myself. But the cliffhanger came in at that moment so I had to end it__. I'll try to make my chapters longer from now on. :P  
><strong>Jace'sVampiress97: <strong>Lol, I think I speak for everyone when I say that I would be, too! Thank you kindly! :D  
><strong>Candy Couture:<strong> Haha, it's fine. And it's sad, isn't it? :P  
><strong>FlygonFan:<strong> Hahaha, I'd love to make Drew a rayquaza, but I'm going to be keeping legendaries out of this. And May won't be turning into a pokémon while she's on the island, sorry. xP I'll try to incorporate some of the pokémon you asked for (the flygon will most likely make a cameo), but I'll let you decide _after_ this chapter if you still want them to or not. I'll let you find out why I'm saying this when you're done reading, then you can tell me in your review, 'kay? :)  
><strong>Pear-Shaped:<strong> Nope, he's not dead and yep, he's coming back as an absol. As a matter of fact, he's coming back in this chapter. Though, I must say, the reunion that he and May are going to have isn't going to be_ exactly_ what she'd planned. :P_

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><p><strong>Absol chapter 6<strong>

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><p>A rush of pain surges through me as I fall down the ravine. The rocks leave cuts all over my exposed skin as I plummet helplessly down the steep slope. My body slams down hard into the Earth once the tumbling is over, the force so intense that it knocks the breath out of me. Some jagged pebbles beneath me dig into my skin and some tiny fragments get into my cuts, coursing a toe-curling sting throughout me. I want to cry out, but the pain from the fall has deprived me of my breath. It hurts. Everything hurts <em>so<em> much.

I just lay on my back on the rocky ground, staring up at the cloudless blue sky that seems too cheerful for my situation. Physical pain and emotional trauma are not meant to go together; the mixture overwhelms me so much that I can't keep the tears from spilling from the corner of my eyes. I lay still for the longest time, sniffling and whimpering as I let the tears fall until the physical pain ebbs.

When all that's left of my pain are the throbs in some areas of my body, I push myself up off the ground. Pebbles crunch beneath my weight as I steadily force myself to stand. My legs cry out in protest as I eventually rise to my feet from all of the running that I'd done prior to jumping into this ravine and all of the tumbling that I did as I fell down. I almost lay back down on the ground to rid of the pain, but I doubt it's a good idea, especially on this island. I don't exactly want to be lying around for the convenience of any other pokémon like the mightyena from earlier to catch me without much effort.

Ugh, the mightyena. Just the thought of it sends a shudder rippling through me.

A small stream runs not far from where I was laying just a moment ago. I decide to follow it in the direction that it flows considering I have no where else to go, anyways. Perhaps it will lead me somewhere, somewhere where I can get some type of signal started. Like a large fire, to inform people of my presence on this island so that rescue can come. To at least _attempt_ at a chance of survival instead of passing away without ever have tried. I'm not going to die without having at least tried once.

If I'm going to be starting a fire, I need to do it outside of the forest. Even though setting the forest on fire would give me the biggest fire I'm capable of making with the resources on this island, I don't like the thought of taking innocent lives, even if they're the lives of bloodthirsty pokémon. The beach is my best bet.

Hopefully, I'll find my way to the beach without any problems or any other encounters with other pokémon like the mightyena.

I follow the flow of the stream for a while, my eyes going in all directions. One second, I'm glancing at the ground to make sure I don't step on anything to alert others of my presence. The next second, I'm scanning my surroundings to search for any lurking predators. Every other second, I glance down into the stream to observe my reflection. Apprehension is clear on my face every time.

I don't like this feeling, this feeling of being watched. It's like something's following close behind me and I swear I can feel something breathing down my neck every so often. Everytime I do, I snap around, only to find nothing. Everything around me is eerily silent and still save for the stream and myself. The shaky breaths that I'm taking in and letting out make me anything but. The pounding of my heart sounds pretty loud, too; it's thumping like it's going to accelerate out of my chest.

I swear, if a pokémon like that mightyena doesn't kill me, fear will first. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared out of my wits right now. But I have to keep going, regardless, if I want a chance of getting off this island. I grudgingly resume my walking.

The stream leads me to another beach. The only difference is there are more rocks in place of sand. Literally, jagged rocks of every size are _everywhere_. They're so jagged that I can even feel them through the soles of shoes. I don't dare to walk across the rocks because just standing on them now is threatening to throw me off balance and I'd rather _not _fall down onto sharp, jagged rocks. I have enough cuts on and pain in my body as it is.

The other thing about the rocks that I notice are that they look incredibly damp. Too damp to get a fire started, or at least, a fire of the size that I want. It'd be stupid to attempt to start a rescue fire here; I would more than likely _not_ get the results that I want and I would almost be guaranteed to attract unwanted company. Neither of those things sound pleasant in the slightest.

"There's no use in lingering around here," I mutter to myself and begin to take steps back in the direction that I had come. I take one last look at the ocean before I turn around entirely to watch the waves crash against the rocks. It's odd how the sight affects me. Back home in Petalburg, I used to go to the beach in Route 104 just to watch the ocean whenever something was on my mind. The effect had always been close to instant; I'd watch the waves kiss the shore and I'd immediately feel my relief from my stress. I'd be soothed, comforted, and after a bit more time just watching the ocean, my mind would be clear of all troubling thoughts and I'd feel a calm feeling wash over me.

Now, the ocean affects me different. As I watch the waves crash onto the rocky shore, an unsettling feeling takes me over. I don't feel calmed by the sight. In fact, I feel the exact opposite. The ocean just doesn't seem the same to me anymore.

But then again, how can I possibly look at the ocean the same way as I used to? Not when it claimed the cruise ship that I'd been on as its own and taken it down to its depths. Not when so many people—people who'd been on the cruise ship with me—perished in it. Not when _I_ almost perished in it. And especially not when it took my glaceon and Drew away from me.

It took them both without even letting me know if they'd really died or not.

The thoughts fill me with grief and I feel my heart wrench in pain. Swallowing a sob and blinking back tears, I turn around and begin to walk away from the ocean. I'm not really taking notice of where I'm going, really, there's too much on my mind to do that. It isn't until I register that I'm not making any noise as I walk that I realize that I didn't even head back into the ravine like I thought I did. There are no pebbles crunching beneath my steps.

I'm walking on soil instead, soft soil that makes my footsteps silent and there are fallen branches and leaves scattered here and there. My eyes drift upward and scan my surroundings. Leaves, bushes, and ferns make up the scenery. Looks like I've wandered into the forest instead.

A branch snaps from ahead of me and my eyes flicker in the direction of the sound. I can faintly make out the silhouette of a quadrupedal pokémon. Even from a distance, I can tell that it's pretty tall, about the same size as the mightyena from earlier if not slightly taller. Its broad, circular paws are each equipped with three claws and there's an outline of a long and shaggy ruff of fur around its neck. I don't need any of those features to determine what pokémon this is, though, especially with the prominent sickle-shaped scythe protruding from the right side of its head.

It's an absol. I'm sure of it, even before it steps out entirely into view. When it does, fear runs through me and my heart starts pounding madly again.

Crap. It's an absol. An absol _twice_ the size of a normal absol. Crap. Crap, crap, _crap__._

I'm so dead.

A snarl comes from behind me, an all too familiar snarl and I feel close to breaking down when I recognize it. _Arceus, please don't let it be what I think it is_, I plead in my mind as I turn my head slightly to the side to glance behind me from the corner of my eye. My breathing becomes rapid and shaky when I see it. Of course it would be exactly what I thought it would be.

The mightyena from earlier is standing on the rocks just outside of the entrance of the forest.

I'm trapped in between two abnormally large pokémon who could catch me in an instant the second I try to run. I'd only managed to outrun the mightyena early by an extreme stroke of luck; I doubt I'll get lucky twice. Even if I manage to outrun one of them, the other would surely catch me and tear me to bits. Then I'd either be a meal for one or both of the pokémon.

Again, _crap_.

I turn my head back to the absol for I'd much rather face it before death instead of the mightyena. I feel a twinge of embarrassment for having allowed the mightyena to find me again, after having successfully fled from it. I don't want to give it the smug satisfaction of seeing the fear in my eyes before I die. So, I meet the absol's eyes instead. At least the absol has a serene face save for the bloodlust in its eyes. I stop breathing when I notice the color of them, though.

Emerald green. But not just any shade of emerald green.

_Drew's_ shade of green.

I almost begin sobbing at the harsh reality of it all. Those are _Drew's_ emerald green eyes lodged in the socket of the absol. Drew has been transformed into an _absol_. An absol who looks like he would like nothing more than to sink his teeth into me right now and devour me whole.

This is too cruel. Whatever sick fate brought me to this moment wants me to die by being killed by Drew. I'm going to forced to look into the eyes of my lover as the body of the pokémon that he has become tears me to shreds.

_How did this have to happen?_

I stumble a few steps to the side unintentionally as I force back the tears of grief. Big mistake. Both pokémon snarl at me and begin to come my way, but I'm only watching the absol.

The absol approaches me, the leaves and branches crunching beneath its paws in synchronization to its every step. I slowly back myself up, my steps mirroring that of the pokémon in front of me, until my back is pressed against the trunk of a tree that must've been behind me. Fear shoots through me when I meet its eyes. Its emerald green eyes. _Drew's _eyes. Before I can utter the name of the guy that they'd once belonged to, it lunges forward.

I shut my eyes and wait for the inevitable death that awaits me.

But it doesn't come.

My eyes snap open at the sound of the cry of pain that pierces the air. It's because it wasn't mine, it was the mightyena's.

A mixture of emotions overcome me. Relief, confusion, and fear, all at once. Relief, because I am not the victim of their violent strikes and snaps of their teeth. Confusion, because I am not sure _why_ I'm not the victim of their attacks when they'd both looked like they were going to attack me earlier. And fear, because I'm witnessing a lethal battle raging between two oversized pokémon that far exceeds any usual quarrel. I know this when the first sign of blood splashes to the ground, but I can't tell which pokémon it belongs to.

It's a bloody fight to the finish. Both of them seem more than determined to have the other's head, but the absol's obviously winning. So far, the only blood that's spotting its white coat belongs to the mightyena. The mightyena hasn't even managed to draw one drip of the absol's blood.

The absol's strikes are vicious and deadly accurate, each swipe of its claws drawing blood every time. The mightyena can't even get close to landing a retaliating hit on it. The mightyena's losing by a long shot. And as sick as it is to admit this, I'm honestly relieved that the absol is winning and not the mightyena.

That is, until the absol tears off one of the mightyena's legs with its teeth.

The mightyena's howl of pain claws at my eardrums as its leg is thrown across the air. I hear the thud as the limb hits the ground in some area behind me, but my eyes stay fixed on what is happening before me. I'm watching with my chest rising and falling heavily and my head spinning rapidly as the absol tears the mightyena into pieces before my very eyes. I'm so close to either vomiting or blacking out; the bile's already risen up my throat to my mouth and the world's beginning to spin.

Of course, the rusty smell of blood that begins to fill the air instantly after the last of the mightyena's legs are torn off doesn't help my condition, either.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, wasn't that entirely unexpected and gross? Eck. I didn't think it'd get so gory, I guess I just got carried away I guess. Now I'm debating on bumping up the rating to M. What do you guys think? Please tell me in the reviews! Thanks for reading!


	7. Driven

Sorry for the delay! Writer's block decided to attack me like crazy for this story, so I was left with absolutely no inspiration for weeks! I'd like to say that it's a different story now. In fact, this is the last chapter of the story so I don't have to worry about updating anymore! Great, eh? Yay! I did say that this was going to be a short fic, didn't I? :D Have fun reading guys! Please review despite how long it took for me to get this up! They're very much appreciated! Enjoy the final chapter of _Absol_!

_**Responses to Reviews...  
><strong>__**LoveLoverGrl:** Thank you!  
><strong>Similar Hues:<strong> English isn't my first language, but I've never had anyone say anything about my grammar. Maybe it's because it's my first time writing a story in first-person present tense? I'll admit I have been struggling with writing this story as everyone can tell by my delayed updates. :P  
><strong>MapleRoses:<strong> Haha! Sorry! I missed that error when I was going back to edit the chapter! Thanks for pointing it out! :D  
><strong>Empress Empoleon:<strong> I know! I miss the Kanto episodes. :( Sorry for the delay, though! I don't understand why it's so easy for me to update on a weekly basis for my other story, but it's so hard to update for this one. I'm really stressed out xP  
><strong>Fprmr1:<strong> The_ fifth_ time? Geez! I'm only _just_ starting to reread the trilogy! Ugh! I need to catch up to you! xD Did you see the movie yet? I have yet to go see it!  
><strong>splitheart1120:<strong> I hope so, too!  
><strong>Candy Couture:<strong> Lol! That would work...unfortunately, skittys aren't scary enough. xD  
><strong>kakashisnumber1fangirl:<strong> Thank you :)  
><strong>Jace'sVampiress97:<strong> Haha, the eyes were definitely a dead giveaway if not the part where he saved May. xD  
><strong>Katisnotaneyeball:<strong> Thank you very much! I stopped using the detail because I received so many complaints about it being excessive! Glad to hear that at least_ someone_ liked it. xP Thanks for reading my story even though you don't like Contestshipping!  
><strong>Pokemaster:<strong> Er, I'm pretty sure you can get all three (Kyorge, Rayquaza, and Groudon) pokémon in the emerald version. As for if you get Latios or Latias in the emerald version, it depends on what color (red or blue) you choose when your mom (in the game) asks you what color pokémon you saw after you beat the Pokémon League. I have no idea how to get Deoxys or Mew, though. Lol, do I still get cookies?  
><strong>Monocrhome13:<strong> Poor May, indeed. I'm so mean to her in all my stories. :P  
><strong>FlygonFan:<strong> Lol, I'll try to see if I can give them a cameo.  
><strong>Glaceon34:<strong> Sorry! I really wanted to update that Sunday, but I really couldn't find any inspiration to write! :(  
><strong>Twilarose:<strong> Thank you :)  
><strong>Pear-shaped:<strong> Thanks :D  
><strong>Looketh:<strong> Thanks! I was actually more inspired by the _Hunger Games_, but I guess more of Glory For Sleep's trilogy got into my story instead. :P  
><strong>kakashifan1792:<strong> I will definitely finish this story! Don't worry! Thanks so much!  
><strong>EeveeTransformed:<strong> Thank you so much for reading all of the chapters and reviewing for all of them as well! That was very nice of you. :D  
><strong>chocolatehell:<strong> Lol Samia! You're so silly. :D  
><strong>FlygonFan:<strong> Lol! I don't know what to do about the descriptiveness of this story! When I was being descriptive, everyone complained about it, so I stopped being descriptive. Now that I _have_ stopped, some people are asking for it again. I don't now what to do. xD And sorry for taking so long to update! I was really lacking inspiration! I'm really rushing to get this story finished while I _have_ inspriation so that I won't lose it again! Keep your fingers crossed for me!  
><em>_**hungryhippo1000:** Thanks so much! :D _

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><p><strong>Absol chapter 7<strong>

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><p>The smell of blood is revolting, it really is. It smells metallic, like rusty iron to be precise. I've never liked it. It's always made my head spin, and I feel like vomiting every time I catch a whiff of it.<p>

Just like I am now.

The smell of the mightyena's blood has filled my nose with the most sickening odor. It's splattered all over the place. The ground, the trees, the bushes..._me_. I'm sickened by the feel of the warm liquid trickling down my arm from the patch that was splattered on my shoulder.

It's so gruesome. I feel like I'm living in a horror movie.

I _hate_horror movies.

The sight before me is definitely something that you'd see in one. Absol is still snarling viciously as it tries to tear apart the mightyena even more. The same stump that used to be half of the mightyena's body is still being shook back and forth in Absol's mouth. Some other pieces of the body are scattered all around the area. Some others were flung so far that they're not even in sight anymore. And yet, Absol keeps trying to tear them up, shaking them until the very last bit of blood has splattered on the floor.

Then, the splatters of blood around us start to sizzle. The smell of burnt wood fills the air as the blood begins to bubble and eat away at everything it's touching. It's literally as if the blood has turned to acid. Next thing I know, small chunks of the ground and trees are gone, eaten away by the acid that used to be Mightyena's blood.

I'm gaping right now, I know I am. _Alright May, close your mouth. Pick your jaw back up from the ground_, I tell myself.

But I can't. Holy crap, I _can't_. This can't really be happening. I'm living in a nightmare. Someone pinch me. Pinch me _right now_. _Please_.

_May_?

My mouth clamps shut in surprise at the sound of my name. The voice sounded so much like Drew's. I turn my gaze over to the absol automatically. Its eyes are staring right back at me.

"Drew?" I breath, unable to believe it. Was it really Drew's voice that I just heard?

_Yes_, he answers, but his mouth doesn't move._ What're you doing here_?

I hesitate for a moment, still getting over the shock of hearing his voice. I'd thought that I would never hear it again. Should I be happy that I'm still able to hear it, or should I be upset and worried that I'm hearing it through telepathy from an absol? An absol that had been killing a mightyena just minutes ago, if I may add.

But for some reason, after hearing his voice, I find myself strangely calm. It's as if I hadn't just witnessed him killing a pokémon. My hands aren't clammy, my mouth isn't dry, my heart isn't racing. I'm not afraid of him.

"I woke up on the beach here after the cruise ship sunk," I begin to say. My voice is steady, too. "The mightyena chased me into the forest and I leapt into the ravine. I walked around for a while to find a spot for me to get a fire started so that I could try to get someone to rescue me. When I didn't find a good place to do that, I went back into the forest, but then..."

I trail off. He knows the rest of the story, anyways.

Drew blinks and diverts his gaze to the ground. He doesn't speak through telepathy to me for a while, so I let my eyes travel over his body during his silence. I trail them all over his absol body, lingering for a little while longer on the red spots on his white coat. It's the mightyena's blood, but it hasn't turned to acid like the rest of the mightyena's blood.

My eyes instantly fly to my arm at the realization. To my surprise, the blood on it hasn't turned to acid, either. No wonder I didn't feel any pain on my body. I must've been too distracted by the other blood to have paid any attention to the small trail on my arm. My hand goes up to touch it with my fingers. They come back with the tips coated with the sticky, red substance.

"Drew...what happened back there?" I ask in a whisper, bringing my eyes back to the face of the absol.

_I killed the mightyena_, his telepathic voice answers, almost bitterly. _Didn't you see_?

"I _know_ that," I breath, shaking my head. "But I mean, _why_? It was almost as if you were possessed or something. You were so..."

_Violent? Ruthless_? he offers. Then the equivalent of a scoffing laugh passes through my mind before he returns to words again. _I don't know what it is exactly, I really don't. That wasn't the first time I've killed a pokémon in the past twenty-four hours since the ship sank, either._

"What?" I gasp at both the fact that it's only been a day since the ship sank, and the fact that he's killed others before the mightyena. "How many?"

_Two. I tried to stop myself from doing it, especially since they didn't even pose a threat to me. Not a growl, a hiss, nothing_, he seems to struggle for moment, _But it's as if I'm suddenly overwhelmed, taken over, and then completely driven by bloodlust the second I smell the blood of anything living. I lose myself the second the smell reaches my nose. I didn't even have to see the first pokémon to go after it. One whiff of its blood was all it took for me to go bursting through trees and take it down. By the time the frenzy was over, it was already too late. The arbok was already a pile of shreds._

I involuntarily wince at the mental image. "Then why aren't you killing me, right now?" I ask.

I_ don't know. To be quite frank, I'm glad I'm not. I don't know what I'd do if I killed you_, he pauses for a moment to shake his head, which he then leaves to hang in shame. _I can't believe I killed those pokémon so recklessly. I couldn't stop myself...I took killed three living things in the course of twenty-four hours. I'm a monster._

"No...Drew, don't say that about yourself. You're not a monster. You didn't want to kill those pokémon. You just couldn't stop yourself," I try to tell him.

But am I trying to convince just him, or myself as well?

Drew lifts his head and eyes me incredulously. _May, _look_ at me. I'm overgrown absol who took three innocent lives in a _single_ day. They used to be _humans_. I _heard_ their _voices_ begging me not to kill them, but I did, anyways. All I wanted was to tear them apart, and I didn't stop until I did. How could you say that I'm not a monster_?

"But you're not!" I scream at him without meaning to. I'm not even the slightest bit worried that I'll alert any pokémon with my voice. "This type of stuff just doesn't happen naturally Either something or someone made all these things happen! _You_ didn't make yourself this way! You couldn't have made yourself turn into a pokémon, or those other people for that matter! You didn't make yourself want to kill those pokémon! You didn't choose this! You're _not_ a monster!"

_How can you even say that I'm not_? he screams back in my mind._ I _killed_ pokémon, May! Pokémon that used to be humans! Humans that were on the same cruise ship as us!_

I try to ask him how he knows that they were on the same ship as us, but he interrupts me.

_I recognized their voices! I remembered their _eyes_! The arbok's eyes belonged to one of the judges at the contest! The same one that handed you the trophy! I recognized him, and I _killed_ him! Regardless of if someone or something made things this way, I still killed him and the other two! I'm still a—_

Drew's telepathic voice cuts off as we both hear the sound of a snapping branch. I keep my gaze on his face long enough to see his eyes clouding over with some familiar desire. My stomach flops when I register it.

Bloodlust.

My mouth immediately goes dry as I realize what will inevitably happen next. Then, I turn my head to look behind me just in time to catch sight of an approaching scyther. Like Absol and the late mightyena, it's about twice the common size of a normal scyther, and are obviously human eyes for they're hazel instead of the black. They're fixed on me, reflecting the same bloodlust in Drew's eyes.

But fear doesn't even manage to reach me before a blur of white flies past me and takes the mantis down.

It's déjà vu as I watch the scyther struggle to fight a losing battle against Absol. I can't refer to him as Drew as I watch the scene, transfixed against the trunk of the tree while he easily traps his victim beneath his body. It cries out in pain and thrashes while he tears off its blade-like arms. Minutes or seconds later, it eventually lets out one final, blood-gurgling cry before Absol rips its head off and flings it into the trees. And then, its blood begins to sizzle and burns away every inch that it touched.

Its death was exactly like Mightyena's.

Absol lets out a huff of breath after shaking his head. After realizing what he had just done (again), he takes a step back and Drew's voice returns in my head.

_Fuck_! Drew's voice screams telepathically. _We need to get you off of this island, _now_. We need to get someone to rescue you and take you _home.

"You're coming with me," I say immediately.

_Why_? he asks sadly. My heart clenches when he brings his eyes to mine. They're glossed over with tears. I've never seen Drew so close to crying before. To see this for the first time under such circumstances is truly heartbreaking. _There's no point. I'll just be a freak of nature and a threat to everyone else back home. I don't want to kill people back home, too, May_.

"You won't kill people, Drew," I whisper in an effort to comfort him, and also because I believe that he won't. My feet begin to take me closer to him. "I'm human, and you're not doing anything to me right now. Someone's going to rescue us, and then we're going to go back home where we'll find a way to cure you. You won't be stuck like this forever."

Drew's watches me warily as I step closer to him. He doesn't believe that he won't hurt anyone, I can see it in his sad eyes. He thinks that if he can kill pokémon that used to be people that he'll be able to kill actual people, too. But, instead of voicing the thought, he asks, _Why aren't you afraid of me_?

I don't answer. I just keep walking until I'm standing directly in front of him. Without thinking, I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck.

"Because I love you," I murmur truthfully. "You won't hurt me, and you won't hurt anyone back home, either. We're going to get out of here, Drew, and we're going to get you back to the way you were before. This'll all be over soon."

Drew turns to press his cheek against the back of my head. _I hope so, I really hope so._ His shoulders lift as he exhales a sigh._ I love you, too, May_.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, how'd you guys like it? The final chapter of _Absol _is over! The end! Sorry, it was rather short...

By the way, if you believed what I just said now and in the first author's note, then I got you _so_ good. Happy April Fools' Day, everyone. ;) Anyways, I'm on my spring break now so I'll have more time to write. I'm going to devote all of that time to writing chapters for this story. I'm even going to rush to get all of the chapters uploaded before inspiration escapes me again! This story should have no more than 16 chapters, and that's including an epilogue. Just thought you all should know! Hope you guys aren't mad at me for the joke I pulled. Tehe! Reviews are appreciated! Until next time! ;D


	8. Road to Escape

How was everyone's Easter? Hope you all had a lovely day! You guys helped me reached 100 reviews! Yay! Thank you so much! :D Please keep on reading and reviewing! Appreciate it loads! Hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

**_Responses to__ Reviews...__  
>Pear-Shaped:<em>**You're_ awesome, you little sweetheart! :D  
><strong>hungryhippo1000:<strong> Hahaha! I'm sorry! You're not dumb! xD  
><strong>Alethea R. Grey:<strong> I just wanted to say that your username is_ so_ pretty! I love it! It has such a nice flow to it! I wish my name was that cool. :D  
><strong>chocolatehell:<strong> Lol, wait, what? xD My spring break's officially over after tomorrow. Now, I have to endure the last couple weeks of school before I get to leave on vacation for a month. Unfortunately, I might not be able to update my stories as often as I'd like while I'm on vacation. :\  
><strong>Fprmr1:<strong> Lol! If we ever met in real life, I'd totally drag you to go see the _Hunger Games_! That movie is _phenomenal_!_ _Like, seriously, I can't tell you how much I love it!  
><strong>The Real Contestshipping Princess:<strong> Thank you so much! I haven't had the time to check out your story so far (sorry!), but I'll be sure to do so in the upcoming week! Get ready for some reviews coming your way! :D By the way, I'm sorry about having to put spaces in your username. Fanfiction kept deleting your username every time I saved this chapter while I was working on it. :\  
><strong>FlygonFan:<strong> Um...the story's not over. Lol, it was an April Fool's joke I played on everyone. Didn't you read the bottom author's note? xD But YES! My love for the _Hunger Games_ pulled through!  
><strong>splitheart1120:<strong> Don't worry, there will be!  
><strong>Twilarose:<strong> Hahaha! I'm sorry for the joke! I'm glad you love my story, though! Thanks! :)  
>I know Absol isn't a psychic pokémon, but then again, neither is Lapras, and I remember a pokémon episode where Lapras could speak through telepathy! I believe it was the episode with Santa Claus. xD<br>Glad you read the_ Cadence Of Their Fear_ trilogy! They _are_ amazing! I was actually reading some of the first story a few weeks ago. :P And don't worry! I love long reviews! It gives me more to respond to so that I get to talk to you guys more. :D  
><strong>Pokemaster:<strong> Aw, darn! At least I was close. :P I can't answer any of the questions you asked, though, because I don't know the answers! The only answer I know is that Lance is a Pokémon League champion. Lol, and I'm not even sure if I'm correct! Am I right?  
><strong>LoveLoverGrl:<strong> Hah, thanks!  
><strong>Jace'sVampiress97:<strong> Lol, sorry! But I can't say I feel bad about the joke! I got a lot of people with it. xD  
><strong>Empress Empoleon:<strong> Haha! You're not gullible! Believe me, I would've been fooled by that joke, too, if I weren't the one playing it! :) And geez! I need to revise my chapters from now on more than once! I honestly don't even catch these errors when I go back to edit! Thank goodness I have readers like you to point them out to me! And I'm sorry about taking so long to update last time! Inspiration just wouldn't come to be, but at least I got this chapter up in a week, eh? Hopefully I'll be able to update once a week so that I can finish this story before I leave for vacation. :D  
><strong>EeveeTransformed:<strong> Aw, crud! I didn't get you like I did everyone else. Fail. xD And I got this chapter up in a week! Are you proud of me? :D  
><strong>Monochrome13:<strong> Thank you! I hope you had a wonderful Easter! :) Loved the end of your review! So cute!_

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><p><strong>Absol chapter 8<strong>

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><p>The moon sails across the sky to take place of the sun as Drew leads me through the forest to find a way to the beach. He's obviously very eager to get me off this island with the way he's refusing to stop, even for a moment. We took a short break earlier, but after a near-death experience with a pokémon during those ten minutes, Drew has been refusing to delay our journey to the beach any longer than we need to.<p>

I had been picking berries high up in a tree during that break. My stomach had been grumbling and tormenting me like crazy, so we had no choice but to stop and search for food. I climbed the first tree that I saw with pecha berries dangling from the branches with Drew's help. He didn't really approve of me being so high up off the ground, but after a bit of reasoning backed up by a loud growl from my stomach, he had no choice but to let me go after the food. After climbing the large trunk, I straddled the closest branch that looked sturdy enough to support my weight and began to pick the berries.

But I must've been too focused on getting the food. I didn't even notice when something climbed down onto the same branch as me from the top of the tree. The pokémon crept up on me from behind while I was trying to pick a particularly stubborn pecha berry. By the time I finally noticed that the branch was shuddering beneath me from all of the weight that it had to hold, it was almost too late. When I turned around, I found myself looking straight into the dark green eyes of a very large pinsir.

Thankfully, Absol caught a whiff of the pinsir's blood just in time from where he stood on the ground. His head snapped up to my location on the branch—or rather, the pinsir's location—and a snarl instantly left his mouth. I was too scared at that moment to do anything other than glance at Absol from the corner of my eye as I slowly back myself up and away from the pinsir, who moved with me, inch by inch. It didn't seem to have even noticed Absol's presence as it snapped its pincers at me, baring its horizontally-arranged teeth at the same time.

At that moment, as I glanced from its eyes and then back down at Absol, I thought for sure that I was a goner. I didn't think that Absol would be able to reach us in time from where he was on the ground; we were so high up. That's why the surprise that came when a white blur suddenly leapt up and tackled Pinsir to the ground threw me off the branch.

I ended up slamming down onto the ground. The pain from the fall was so intense that I didn't even know that Absol had killed the Pinsir until the sound of the sizzling blood reached my ears and Drew's voice entered my mind, asking me if I was okay. I told him yes, even though every part of my body hurt like hell and I was still getting over the shock of nearly getting gripped to death by a pinsir.

I really wanted to go home.

I _still_ want to go home.

_May?_

I stop walking at the sound of Drew's voice. He's looking back at me from where he was walking ahead of me just a few seconds ago. "Yes?" I inquire.

_I think we should turn in for the night_, he suggests. _There's a cave up ahead that we could stay in for the night. Are you okay with that?_

"Of course," I tell him immediately. I'll take any form of shelter if it means I get to sleep. Tt's the only way I can escape reality right now. "It's nothing I've never done before."

A memory of the time Drew and I were rescued by a pack of wynaut and taken to their cave to rest comes to mind after I say those words. It's not much, but it offers some comfort at a time like this. I'm glad that my mind's still capable of thinking happy thoughts after all of the horror that took place in the past couple hours. It means that I'm not as traumatized as I thought.

The words seem to have triggered the same memory for Drew because he chuckles into my mind. _Same here__. Now, let's go see if that cave's safe for sleeping._

I follow Drew as he leads me through the trees and to a running stream, much like the one that I walked along earlier. My silent footsteps are suddenly making noise as I step onto the rocky ground, the pebbles crunching beneath my feet. Instinctively, my eyes flicker all over our surroundings to check for any lurking predators. It's pretty dark, though, so I'm barely able to see even with the small amount of the light provided by the moon.

_Relax__, _Drew tells me suddenly. _There's nothing lurking around. I'd be killing something right now if there was._

True. If there was really a pokémon stalking us right now, it wouldn't live long. Absol would be going after it and tearing it to shreds before it could even get to me. All it needed to do was get close enough so that Absol could get a whiff of its blood, and then it'd be over. It wouldn't be hard for Absol either; I don't even think it would put up much of a fight against him. The other pokémon that he killed certainly didn't.

It's strange, really, and I'm still wondering about it. Drew and I have been tracked down by a total of four pokémon in the past couple of hours—the mightyena from the beach, a houndoom, a raticate, and the pinsir from earlier. According to Drew, not one of them fought back against him, including the arbok that he encountered before he ran into me. It was relatively easy for him to kill them all because they just didn't fight back. It seemed like they were too distracted with me, the desire to kill me overpowering the will to keep themselves alive. This fact doesn't keep me from worrying about him, but at least it means that he has a higher chance of survival.

And now that brings me to the confusing part about _Drew_. He shares similar traits with the late pokémon, and yet he's so unlike them. He used to be a human like them, he still has his human eyes like them, and, from what he's told me, he's telepathic like them. But he hasn't tried to kill me like them. While the other pokémon seemed to have gone into a frenzy over the smell of _my_ blood, Drew has only gone into a frenzy over the smell of _their_ blood. The effect that my blood had on the pokémon is the effect that their blood has on him. Instead of trying to kill me, he kills them.

It's so _weird_. Strange. Confusing. I don't even have a word in my vocabulary that can be used to describe the mystery of the pokémon on this island, the mystery of Absol. How did they go from being human a little less than a day ago, to a ruthless, bloodthirsty killer today? What made them all this way? And why is Drew protecting me instead of killing me? Surely, whoever or whatever it is that made them all this way didn't purposely make Drew different so that he can protect me from the others. If they left me as the only human on this island to be a meal for the pokémon, then they obviously want me dead. So, why would they leave Drew to protect me? There has to be another reason as to why he's different from the other pokémon.

_May? Are you okay?_ Drew's voice asks suddenly, making me realize that I didn't respond to his earlier comment. I've also stopped walking, as well, and he eyes me with concern. _Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'll keep you_ safe, he promises me, and then nods his head forward. _Come on, l__et's go. The cave's just up ahead._

"Yeah," I manage to breath, willing myself to move forward, following him to the entrance of the cave. "I know you will."

Drew tells me to wait outside of the cave while he goes inside to check out the inside of the chamber. I instantly wrap my arms around myself as I wait for him out of the need to keep myself warm and out of the fear of lurking predators. He promised to keep me safe, I know, but that doesn't stop me from still being a little bit frightful. We're on a hostile island, after all. You don't know what to expect here.

_May, you can come in. It's safe._

I let out a breath of relief and begin to head into the cave. The inside is dark, almost pitch black, but it's not very deep and the moonlight illuminates it enough for me to see where I'm going. Stalactites hang from the roof of the cave while a stalagmites rise up from the ground, so I have to watch my step to avoid tripping over one. Drew's standing near the back beside a rather large boulder. It's probably big enough to for him to completely conceal himself if he stood behind it, but I can't really tell if there's space between it and the back of the cave. I step a little closer with the hopes of getting a better look.

_Watch your step_, Drew warns instantly. _The ground dips a little in front of you_.

I heed his warning and proceed with caution, carefully feeling the ground ahead of me with my foot before taking every step and before placing all of my weight down. Once I feel the edge of the raised part of the cave, I step down and begin walking normally again.

"Thanks for that," I tell him.

_No problem_, he replies. Then he begins to head behind the rock. _We can sleep behind here. Less of a chance of being seen_, he says, and I watch as he lays down, bending his hind legs and tucking his front legs beneath him.

I approach him slowly and take a seat down beside him, trying to get over how strange it was to see how lie down that way. It's still hard accepting the fact that he's an absol now when he was still human a day ago. I can't imagine how he must feel being inside that body right now.

A shiver rattles my body involuntarily, but I can't decide if its from the nerves or the cold. Probably both. I look over at Drew, meeting his emerald gaze that seems somewhat expectant. As if he's waiting for me to do something. Like talk. It takes me a moment, but I finally bring myself to speak to request something of him. "Hey, Drew? Would you mind if I...curled up against you?"

Drew chuckles into my mind. _Glad you asked_. _I was going to ask if you were going to or not_. He nods in the direction of his midsection. _Come here_.

I smile a small smile and start to crawl closer to him on the cold, cavern floor. Once I reach him, I settle against his side and snuggle up against him to warm myself up with his body heat. His fur slightly reeks of the smell of blood, but there's still a pleasant, musky scent present to overpower it. His scent. I automatically press myself even further into him to breath more of it in.

_This is weird_, Drew mutters after I situate myself.

"How so?" I inquire, my voice already soft from drowsiness.

_The last time I slept with you, I was still human. But now...I'm an absol._

My breath hitches in my throat as the memories of that night flood my brain. Our lovemaking had been magical; his kisses and caresses had made me feel wonderful and loved. Then, when I fell down on the bed beside him, I felt nothing but bliss as his arms went around me as I cuddled into him. His musky scent wafted from his skin that was covered in a sheen of the sweat. I looked up at his face before I settled to sleep and he smiled down at me with his emerald eyes that were still smoldering with passion. And when I reached up to brush his damp green hair out of his eyes, he'd taken my hand and planted featherlight kisses on the tips of my fingers. I fell asleep after that.

It's an entirely different story now as I cuddle into him. His body is entirely different and he doesn't even have arms to wrap around me. And we aren't falling asleep together after a tiring night of lovemaking. We are falling asleep together after an exhausting day of running around a hostile island, trying to get to the beach so that we could get rescue to get us home.

How did all of this happen in such a short amount of time?

"That was only two nights ago...," I whisper mournfully. "But why does it feel like a lifetime ago now?"

Drew's silent for a long time. I almost think he's fallen asleep until he suddenly speaks up in my mind again. _I'm sorry this had to happen, May_.

I lift my head to look at him. His eyes are sad as he stares back at me. "Don't be sorry, it's not your fault," I tell him. "You didn't want this to happen."

_But it did_. _And now, we're stuck here on this blasted island._

"We won't be here forever," I assure him, reaching over to press the palm of my hand into his cheek. I stroke it gently with my thumb with the hopes of comforting him. "We're going to get help. We're going to go home and then we're going to get you back to the way you were. You won't stay like this forever," I pause to place my head back against the side of his stomach and retract my hand, "Let's just get through this night so that we can get to the beach tomorrow morning."

He's silent again for a moment, but then he speaks.

_Okay. We'll set out for the beach tomorrow morning_, he says, his telepathic voice barely a murmur. And then, he curls his body around me protectively, resting his head on the ground in front of me to complete the circle of his body. After a moment of silence, we both fall asleep.

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><p>Sunlight finds its way into the cave early the next morning. I open my eyes as it lights up the cave with its warm glow, only to find that Drew is already awake. He hasn't moved from the position he was in last night, though. Probably to keep me warm and to keep from waking me. Once he sees me stirring, he lifts his head from where it was on the ground to look at me.<p>

_Good morning_, he greets upon meeting my eyes, which I blink groggily.

"Good morning," I greet back just as a yawn escapes my lips. Then, I push back from him so that I can stretch. After I'm done, I stand up and turn to face him. "How'd you sleep?"

_Well enough_, he informs as he stands up as well. _How about you?_ I smile and tell him same. The corner of his mouth tugs up in a smirk at this, and then he asks me,_ Ready to go_?

"Yes, absolutely. Let's go," I tell him, trying not to sound so eager. But I really am. I'm ready to get off this island.

Drew heads out of the cave first to make sure there aren't any pokémon around. Once he makes sure the coast is clear, he calls for me to follow him out the cave. A breeze greets me once I step out, blowing my hair into my face, which annoys me very much with the way it's tickling my nose. To get it to stop, I gather every last strand and braid it into one single plait going down my shoulder. It isn't until I pull my hands away that I notice the bits of dried blood on them. I wrinkle my nose in disdain.

_You can wash up in the stream_, Drew suggests.

I nod my head and immediately walk to the stream, crouching down on a big enough rock lying above the stream on the bank. I dip my hands into the water, hissing as it gets into my various scratches and cuts, but allowing it to wash away the crimson stains just the same. Once they're thoroughly cleaned, I cup some water in my hands and bring it up to rub off the stains on my arms, which are spotted with purpling bruises. My legs are next, ugly bruises spotting them, too, but I ignore them and I finish washing them off quickly. Unfortunately, the stains on my plaid shirt and twill shorts are obviously there to stay, so I don't even attempt to get the blood out. I just give my hands one last wash and then stand up.

_Done__?_ Drew asks.

"Yeah, thanks for waiting," I respond, and then follow him as he leads the way into the forest.

We walk for a while through the trees, but we don't talk much. Aside from occasionally asking me if I'm okay, Drew really tries not to make any conversation with me in fear that my voice may attract pokémon. I find it ridiculous to think that silence will keep the pokémon from finding me. They only need to catch the smell of the blood and they'll come bounding through the trees in no time at all, but I don't say this to Drew. He just doesn't want to kill anymore pokémon than he already has, so I keep my mouth shut for his sake. He's already hurting enough from the five lives that he had to take, as it is. I don't want to hurt him anymore.

_May, listen_, he says after a very long time of not talking.

"Listen to what?" I ask, not knowing what it was exactly that I was supposed to be listening to. I step closer to him thinking that maybe I was too far away to hear. I still don't even when I reach his shoulder, but after a minute, the sound reaches my ears.

Its the sound of waves crashing against a shore. The sound of the ocean I realize, and I instantly feel my stomach fluttering. We made it! I can't see the beach yet, but considering the fact that I can hear the waves, we're probably very close. It's probably just beyond the trees ahead of us. We're only a short distance away. Words can't describe how happy I feel right now. I turn to Drew and beam at him. He smiles back at me...

But then my happiness is cut short when Drew suddenly freezes and the sound of stomping feet come from around us, drowning out the sound of the waves. Branches crunch beneath feet and leaves rustle as whatever's running past the trees whips up some wind. Drew begins to growl, his lips pulling back from his teeth in a vicious snarl. Next thing I know, we're surrounded by a circle of eight different pokémon. Eight, incredibly large pokémon.

Shit.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Oh no, ambush. And a cliffhanger! Woopsies. :P Lol, I'll try to get the next chapter up either next Saturday or Sunday, but no promises! Until then, please review! :)


	9. Race Against Rescue

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>The Real Contestshipping Princess:<strong> Lol! I'm glad I got you so excited! :D  
><strong>Twilarose:<strong> I don't know if you missed it, but in the sixth or seventh chapter, May said that she couldn't think of the absol as Drew whenever he was killing something, so she referred to him as Absol in those moments. Other than that, she would call him Drew. I also reviewed for your fanfic! I liked it! Will you be continuing it, or was it just a one-shot? If it's not a one-shot, I hope you update soon. :)  
><strong>xDragonairx:<strong> Thanks! You'll find out soon!  
><strong>Jace'sVampiress97:<strong> I know. I'm so mean to the both of them. :(  
><strong>MelodicWaters:<strong> Lol, they will all be answered shortly!  
><strong>Monochrome13:<strong> Hahahaha, you think? I think she's probably thinking "FML" ten times over. x)  
><strong>Fprmr1:<strong> Don't worry! I hate cliffies, too, but I always leave my readers with one! If you're a hypocrite, then I am, too. ;D  
><strong>animeartist123:<strong> Thanks! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long!  
><strong>splitheart1120:<strong> Let's see, shall we?  
><strong>Pear-Shaped:<strong> Lol, this story is very confusing, I'll admit. All of your questions will be answered in the next two or three chapters. Six more to go! Woot woot! :D  
><strong>chocolatehell:<strong> I understand completely. Mondays are the absolute worst. :\ Let's go Drew!  
><strong>Pokemaster:<strong> HAHAH! Your review was so funny! You forgot your own questions. xD  
><strong>LoveLoverGrl:<strong> :D  
><strong>EeveeTransformed:<strong> Lol! Come now, I don't take_ that_ long to update, do I? ;D Wait, don't answer that, I do! Haha, sorry! And I saw the movie and I _loved_ it! So good! It was as close to the book as I hoped it would be! :D Oh my god, my one friend said the _Hunger Games _was stupid without ever reading the books or watching the movie. I don't know if he was just teasing me or not, but he is now dead to me. ;D  
><strong>Empress Empoleon:<strong> Right? Are you proud of me? :D You loved the cliffhanger? Lol! Everyone else hates it! And yes, it is an important fact! Hope I updated soon enough this time. Otherwise, we're going to have to find something else that will make me update faster. xD  
><strong>Glaceon34:<strong> It's not over yet! There's still a lot more in store! Six more chapters to be precise, but believe me, six chapters can contain a lot. But what do you mean by prologue? It's kind of too late into the story now for a prologue, isn't it? :P  
><strong>MapleRoses:<strong> How'd it go? I hope it went well!_ :)

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><p><strong>Absol chapter 9<strong>

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><p>Everything happens by in a blur. One second, I'm staring into the human eyes of eight pokémon—an umbreon, an espeon, a leafeon, a liepard, a sandslash, a victreebel, a quilava, and a weavile. The next second, everything is thrown into action. Espeon is the first to lunge at me, its fangs bared, but Absol pins it down before it can get to me. I flinch automatically as the blood shoots out of it once Absol rips off one of its legs.<p>

Sandslash and weavile, the only two bipedal pokémon in the group, are the next to come toward me. They charge at me from the left and right respectively, their claws extended and ready to dig into me. I'm frozen in place, entirely convinced that this is the going to be the end of my life. Absol is busy tearing up the espeon, who isn't fighting back. In fact, none of the pokémon are. They're all focusing on me, which is a comforting thought. I'd rather die knowing that he survived this than to live on knowing that he didn't.

But I'm not going to let death take me so easily. I'm going to at least attempt to keep myself alive. If I'm going to die, I'm going to at least die with dignity.

My eyes dart from side to side, gauging the distance between myself and the two approaching pokémon. They're both about the same distance apart from me—about seven yards away. With their quick feet, I decide that it should not take them long to get close enough to me—five seconds at most. I begin to count down from five in my head, closing my eyes to hear their footsteps better. Once I reach one, I throw my eyes open and snap my head to the right. Weavile is less than two yards away.

I duck to the ground and turn to slap a handful of dirt into Weavile's turquoise eyes. It cries out in anger—blinded temporarily—and begins to swipe wildly at nothing. After a couple of typhlotic swipes, its claws actually make contact with something—Sandslash's eyes. One, clean strike across and Sandslash is deprived of its sight forever. Absol is quick to take it out after hearing its roar of pain, and then the blinded weavile. The end of my life has just been delayed.

But then, something snares me around the ankle and I'm pulled off my feet, sending me slamming onto the ground. I look down to find that the victreebel is pulling me closer and closer to its mouth with its vine. Panicked, I begin to fumble with the vine, trying to pry apart its grip, but it won't budge. I'm dragged right through the legs of Quilava, who takes a snap at my head. It misses and tries to chase after me, but Absol takes it down before it can. Drips of its blood manages to splatter on my forehead.

A couple of snapped branches and jagged stones catch my eye as I'm dragged past them. I twist my body around to grab one—any will suffice at this moment. Most of them are just out of my reach. If I were given just another second, I may be able to get my fingers around one. But Victreebel isn't allowing me the luxury of time. With the distance between its mouth and I quickly drawing to a close, I have to act quickly.

I splay my fingers out on one hand and try to dig them into the ground. Its extremely difficult with the way that Victreebel is dragging me across the ground. The tips of my fingernails break off, drawing blood, and stinging pain runs down my arm from my fingers. But I keep trying. I keep clawing at the ground, trying to shove my fingers through the surface. It takes a while, and I'm almost at entrance of Victreebel's mouth, but soon enough, I manage to plant my fingers into the soil, momentarily stopping myself in my tracks.

Victreebel cries out in anger and tugs on me, trying to pry me away from the surface. I ignore its tugging and throw my body to the left to reach for one of the jagged rocks. Another tug on my ankle sends my body jerking to the other side, pulling me just far enough away so that I can't quite touch the rock I have my eyes on. The sound that escapes my mouth surprises me—I actually snarl at Victreebel as I yank my leg back. I stretch my torso to its limit as I make another attempt to grab the rock while Victreebel continues to pull my leg in the other direction. I feel as if my body is being torn into two. The pain is excruciating, but then...

"Yes!" I hiss under my breath as my fingers manage to wrap around the jagged stone. I grasp it tightly in my hand and yank my leg back, bringing my knee up to my chin, and drive the stone into the vine. Victreebel shrieks and its grip on my ankle tightens while it tries to pull my leg back. But I hold tight to my leg and stab the stone into the vine again, and then again repeatedly. Every stab I send into the vine makes the victreebel's shrieks grow louder. It claws at my ears, but I continue to pierce the vine with the sharp tip of the stone. Just when my fingers begin to slide out of the ground, the vine snaps and the yanking on my leg seizes.

My whole body trembles as I look at Victreebel's brown eyes. It drags its severed vine back as it stares at me, its glare filled with so much hatred that its eyes smolder. I bring myself to look away as I force myself up off the floor. Absol charges past me at the plant pokémon behind me just as I get back on my feet. I don't bother to take a look. Instead, I run in the opposite direction, right past the remains of the leafeon. The sight actually causes my heart to wrench in pain. I had wanted a leafeon before I evolved my eevee into a glaceon.

_Glaceon_...my poor baby. I miss my pokémon so much, it hurts. Every time I think of where it could be, tears sting my eyes. I shut my eyes to keep the ones that have filled my eyes now from spilling over. It could be anywhere right now—most likely the ocean—trapped forever in its PokéBall.

And then, something knocks into me from behind like a gigantic fist. I'm thrown forward from the impact, sending me smashing into a tree trunk. Pain rattles through my body like an earthquake and envelops me in its crushing bind. My breath is knocked out of me, rendering me incapable of a simple groan. My legs buckle from behind me, so I have to grab onto the bark to keep myself from collapsing to the ground. It takes me a moment to gather the strength I need to turn around.

A pair of hazel eyes captures my gaze when I do so. They belong to the umbreon, who must have been the one to push me into the tree. Its height is easily twice that of a regular umbreon. While they are usually only about three-foot tall, this one appears to be at least six. I can tell that it could easily tower over me if I were to stand right in front of it instead of five yards away.

It glowers at me, its lips pulling back from its teeth as it snarls. With every tiny step that its big paws take, it shifts more and more into a crouching position. I brace myself against the tree to spare a glance over its shoulder at Absol. He's glaring at Umbreon from where he's standing. The distance between us is far, but with his legs, he could easily cross it in a matter of seconds.

If only Liepard wasn't so intent on killing me. It distracts Absol when it leaps over his head, stretching its body to its limit to bound a longer distance. It almost succeeds in completing the jump, but Absol lifts his head just when it is in midair and snags it around the ankle with his mouth. Liepard lets out a yowl as it is flipped onto its back and Absol begins to dismantle it.

I bite my lip as I bring my eyes back to Umbreon to keep it from quivering. Absol's distracted by Liepard and can't come to my rescue now. Even if it only takes him a matter of seconds to rip off its legs, Umbreon only needs two seconds to rip off my head. By the time Absol gets to us, I'll already be dead. I see no way out.

The malicious glint in Umbreon's hazel eyes shifts to something different. Something more light-hearted, yet just as aggravating. Provocation. It's _taunting_ me. This pokémon is actually taunting me before it kills me. Something really close to anger flares up inside of me at the realization. Now, I'm more determined than ever to stay alive. This pokémon will _not_ make a meal out of me.

Everything happens in a matter of seconds.

One second, the umbreon takes a very small step forward. The next second, my sapphire eyes clash with its hazel ones. The third second, it shifts into a full-on crouch. The fourth second, it pounces.

I duck and slide across the ground right under Umbreon just as its teeth clamp around the tree where my head used to be. It growls viciously as it wrenches it teeth away, pulling the bark off of the tree in the process. I only spare it a quick glance over my shoulder as I get up and dash over to Absol.

Absol's eyes zero in on Umbreon, who is just beginning to charge at me. He snarls at the pokémon and launches himself forward. I break into a sprint, putting as much distance between Umbreon and myself as possible. It's gaining on me—I can feel it, but I'm not going to let it get me before Absol can get it. Just as Absol bounds over my head, I throw myself to the ground and brace myself for the yowl of pain. It comes a short second later, followed by a splay of blood that splatters all over my body.

My heart pounds in my chest while my blood pulses in my ear. My breaths become jagged and uneven as I pry my eyes away from Absol and Umbreon to take in my surroundings. Various body parts of the dead pokémon are littered all around me. The area is drenched in their blood, dripping from the trees to form puddles on the ground and flowing to create tiny streams in the cracks. Every fiber of my clothes are soaked, coloring them a bright crimson. The putrid stench of the blood and gore clogs the air, making me feel nauseous and sick. Whatever food I managed to get into my system these past two days threatens to come up my throat and out through my mouth.

This is the kind of scene where nightmares are born.

Something that Absol flung lands at my feet with a thud. I draw my trembling legs back so that I can get a better look at the object—its Umbreon's bushy tail. Because the umbreon was so big, its tail is about the size of a linoone. Blood is oozing from the wide end like milk would spill from a glass. I feel like throwing up again.

_May_?

I look up from the tail to meet a pair of green eyes. "Drew?" I breath shakily.

He nods, and then scans our surroundings.

The change of emotion in his eyes is instantaneous. After snapping out of the frenzy, his eyes showed bewilderment. Now, after taking in all of the blood and gore of the dead pokémon, his eyes show different emotions. Fear. Resentment. Disgust. And the one that stands out from the rest—remorse.

_I did it again, didn't I_? he asks, his telepathic voice enveloped in pain as he realizes what he has done again. He takes a step forward, only to have his paw land in a puddle of mud. He draws it back immediately. _I just killed more pokémon, didn't I_?

Words fail me. I can only nod solemnly.

I immediately regret doing so. His eyes instantly gloss over and something close to a strangled sob echoes in my mind. He's _crying_. Drew is _crying. _The remorse that he feels is actually making him shed tears. My heart feels like it has just been broken into a million pieces. I never thought I would live to see Drew cry. I didn't even know that he was _capable_ of crying. This island has broken him in ways that I never thought he could be broken.

And it has broken me, too.

"Drew," I manage to choke out. Tears sting my own eyes as I get myself up off the ground to make my way over to him. "Please, don't cry. You didn't want to. That wasn't yo—"

_Don't touch me__!_ his telepathic voice snarls after I reach out with my hand to touch him. He glares at me with such an intense amount of anger for a moment—all of the remorse leaving at once—that my hand automatically recoils in shock. But after seeing the pain etched across my face, the remorse returns and his face crumbles again. When he speaks, even his voice sounds broken. _I'm a monster, May. Don't touch me. I just killed all of those pokémon without any sign of remorse. How many more pokémon am I going to slaughter? Stay as far away from me as possible. Get off this island, and never come near me again. Otherwise, I don't know when I'll turn on you. I don't want you to be the next life that I take._

The tears that have flooded my eyes spill over as I listen to his words. Staring to his eyes, I now truly begin to understand what people mean when they say that a person's eyes are the window to their soul. I can see the remorse that haunts his soul. I can see the pain that he feels, and I feel it as well. Almost as if its a tangible object, his pain reaches out to me and grabs me in its iron grasp, gripping me so hard that I can barely breathe. And yet, I still feel as if the pain I feel is merely a fraction of the agony that he's suffering. I wish I knew a way to put him out of his misery.

"You won't hurt me," I tell him, my voice surprisingly calm and steady despite my mood. I hesitantly reach forward again to take his face into the palms of my hand. He visibly flinches at my touch, but doesn't make any move to get away from it. I am somewhat comforted by this fact. "I know you won't. You don't want to kill me, just like you didn't want to kill any of those pokémon. You just couldn't control yourself. The one who killed those pokémon _wasn't_ you. And I definitely _won't_ stay away from you. I'm going to get off this island, and you're coming with me. We're going to go home, and then we're going to find a way to change you back to normal, okay?" I bite my lip in concern as I decide to take a bold risk by leaning forward and wrapping my arms around his neck. I whisper into his blood-stained fur, "You won't stay like this forever, Drew."

Since his height surpasses mine, I have to strain in order to reach his neck. But considering the fact that he isn't moving away from me, I'm perfectly fine with a little bit of strain. He doesn't speak nor move for a while. Out of all the times that I have wished that I could know his thoughts, this time has got to be the most desperate. I want to know what he's thinking. I want to know what's running through his mind. I want to know why he isn't saying anything. I want to know just how much these past two days on this island have broken him. I want to know if I can still repair him.

I feel his neck shift in between my arms as he bends it in order to rub his chin against my shoulder. Its the closest thing to an embrace that I can get from him in this form and, even in a time like this, his embrace still manages to make my heart soar. I feel the purr that rumbles in his throat as I hug him and I sigh in harmony. It's almost as if he's really with me, as a human, and I let myself imagine for a few seconds that this really is the case. He's not broken beyond repair, after all.

* * *

><p>Minutes bleed together and an hour shifts into three before Drew and I finally emerge from our resting spot in a thicket. Both of us had been exhausted after the battle with the eight pokémon, so we sought out a place where we could take a rest. We ended up wandering away from the site of the bloodbath because we didn't want to be anywhere near the blood and gore. Once we found an abandoned thicket far enough southeast from the sight, Drew checked it for an lurking dangers before allowing me to climb in with him. After cuddling up together, we settled to sleep.<p>

By the time we woke up, it was probably past noon. We're wandering through the forest now in the direction of the beach. I don't hear the ocean, so I assume that we're not very close. But Drew tells me that we're probably closer than I think because he hears it. Of course he does. He's the one with the enhanced senses from being a pokémon. I'm still stuck with my crappy human hearing.

We pass by a stream in the forest. The crystal clear water practically calls our names, so we stop to take a drink. After doing so, I inform Drew that I'd like to wash up a bit. The blood that got splattered on me has long since dried up, but it makes me feel extremely dirty and sticky. I know that hygiene should be the least of my worries on an island like this, but I'd like to rid myself of the substance. Drew objects, though.

_Leave the blood. With any luck, it'll cover up your scent so that the other pokémon won't find us_, he insists.

I want to scoff at him. Luck is a luxury that we certainly _do_ _not_ have. It doesn't like us, so it doesn't like us have it. If we did, we wouldn't be on this island to begin with. We'd be home in Hoenn, enjoying our lives in a safe and secure environment. But I bite my tongue; he only means well. With a sigh, I leap over the stream and follow him as he begins to lead me through the forest again. We walk for a few minutes, and then Drew stops in his tracks. I almost ask him why before I'm cut off by a low, guttoral rumbling in his throat. My blood immediately runs cold as I realize what this means.

What was that I said about luck not liking us? I was wrong, terribly wrong. Luck doesn't simply _dislike_ us; it absolutely _hates_ us. My hands automatically clench into fists as I turn around to see what it is exactly that made Drew shift into such a menacing stance. A pair of silver eyes meet my own. The eyes of a persian.

The huge feline hisses as it creeps toward us. I take a few slow steps back until my back is pressed against Absol's leg. He growls at the touch, but the growl is directed at Persian, not me. At this sound, the pokémon takes its eyes away from mine to look into Absol's. It hisses in response.

And just like that, both pokémon lunge.

I already had a feeling that something when I saw the persian hiss at Absol. This is the very first time that I've ever seen a pokémon on this island make such a sound at him. Every hiss, every growl, every snarl—they'd all been directed at _me_, not him. They hadn't even bothered to look at him. Their eyes were always locked on me. I had been their target. They wanted to kill me so badly that they didn't even attempt to defend themselves as Absol assaulted them.

But this persian is different. Not only had it looked at Absol, but it also hissed at him. And now, it was_ fighting back_. Every bite and strike that Absol made at it, it met with a snap and swipe of its own. With its claws extended, it aimed to claw at every inch of Absol that it could reach. I have never seen a pokémon fight back with such a vigor before in my life. It wants me, but it wants him, too.

To his credit, Absol is putting up a good fight against his opponent. He pounds Persian with his paws and slices it with his claws, drawing more and more of its blood with every passing second. But Persian isn't allowing itself to be the only one to shed blood. It's lethal in its attempt to take Absol down. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the battle if I tried.

They're rolling on the ground in a matter of seconds, both of them trying to pin the other one down and gain the upper hand. Neither stays pinned for longer than a few seconds before the one on the bottom flips to the top. Tails swish, paws fly, and blood sprays. I pray to Arceus that Absol isn't losing as much blood as I think he is.

I barely have time to duck when Absol is suddenly thrown at me. His body rams against the tree behind us, making it shudder violently as its roots struggle to keep it standing. It isn't until he falls to the ground behind me that I actually get a good look at his body. Its stained with even more blood than earlier, and this time, some of it belongs to him. Fresh, crimson blood is oozing out of some of the cuts in his body. I immediately gasp and run to his side. When I draw my hands back after touching his body, I find them looking as if I'm wearing red gloves.

He struggles to get back on his feet as Persian pants behind me as it circles us. Its silver eyes flash with a murderous glint as well as smolder with bloodlust. I follow its movements with my eyes, which are slowly narrowing. It hisses in response, and then, it lunges forward. I don't even need to think before I throw myself in front of Absol.

One of its claws impales the surface of the skin, drawing blood as it leaves a mark from my shoulder all the way down to my lower back. An angry snarl of pain escapes my lips and I turn around to glare into its human eyes—the eyes from the person who had been transformed into a bloodthirsty pokémon—before swinging my leg back and kicking it as hard as I can in the face, fighting against the searing pain in my shoulder where the wound that it created is still oozing blood. It stumbles a few paces back, giving Absol just enough time to recover and pounce once more.

I fall to the ground, landing on a broken branch. I cry out involuntarily as the object digs into my thigh and causes me even more pain. The world is spinning and spots in my vision are beginning to grow black. I feel like I'm going to collapse, but the toe-curling pain on my back keeps me from blacking out. With a loud hiss, I push myself off the ground with all the strength that I have left so that I end up in a kneeling position.

My breath puffs out of me in labored gasps as sweat runs down the side of my face. I hold my wounded shoulder with my opposite hand while the other hangs limply on the ground. The pounding of my heart muffles my hearing, but the noise of the battle still raging on in front of me still manages to reach my ears. I look up and am completely mortified when I see that Persian has Absol pinned beneath its paws.

Fear surges through me like it never has before. Acting on pure adrenaline alone, I scramble for the broken branch that I landed on a few moments ago. Completely ignoring the stabbing pain in my back, I grab the long, thick branch in my hands and force myself onto my feet. The branch is clamped in my hands like a spear, the broken tip of it sharp as a blade. I don't like what I'm about to do, but I'm prepared to do it if it means that I'll be saving Absol's life. I hurry forward, raising the branch over my head in the process.

And when I reach Persian just as it prepares to snap Absol's face off, I ram the sharp end into the pokémon's back, making its body the sheath for my knife.

Blood pours out of the place where I had wedged the knife like a fountain, the rusty smell of the crimson liquid filling the air and mixing in with my own. The persian shrieks in pain, which is then cut off by a gurgle of blood. I try not to inhale too much of the stench in fear of unleashing the bile that has risen up my throat. With one final shudder, the persian falls to the ground beside Absol, who quickly goes to tear it to shreds. I fall to the ground as well, grasping my wounded shoulder again as I struggle to fill my lungs with air on my knees.

Drew is quick to come up to my side after he takes in my wounded state. His emerald eyes are wide with fright when he sees all the blood that is flowing out of my back. I don't need a mirror to know that my skin is probably ghostly pale as well.

_What the fuck—May! What happened? _his telepathic voice demands.

I completely ignore his question. "Why did it fight back?" I ask him instead, my voice hoarse and weak. "They never fight back. Why did this one fight back?"

_I don't know, but it doesn't matter! Your back! You're losing so much blood!_

"You're not exactly unscathed, either. Are you okay?"

_Who cares about me? Look at _you!_ May, we need to get back to that cave so that you can recover! _

"Are you crazy?" I hiss, and then immediately wish that I didn't. The intense pain that comes from the three words almost take my breath away. I lower my voice to help ease it a little bit. "We're almost at the beach. I'm not turning back now."

_But we need to treat your ba—_

"No," I hiss, both in chagrin and pain. My voice, though weak and low, is firm and conclusive. He is not talking me out of this. "We're _almost there_. I'm not turning back now. I want to at least _attempt _to get us off this island before I bleed to death."

_But, May—_

Despite how difficult it is for me to do so, I get myself back on my feet, cutting off his objection. My legs wobble beneath my weight, and my body screams at me to succumb to the weakness and lay down. But I refuse. I can actually hear the ocean now—see it through the trees even—and I won't be turning back unless I reach it. We're going now, whether he likes it or not.

"Go," I command him.

My eyes narrow into a glare, daring him to oppose me. He doesn't even try to this time. He begins to walk to the trees in the direction of the beach. While I'm noting how he's also walking with a slight limp, I catch a glimpse of something on his shoulder.

"Drew!" I gasp, and he turns around in alarm. I make my way to him, ignoring the protests of my body. Once I reach him, I lift my hand to search through the fur on his shoulder with the tips of my fingers, unable to believe what I am seeing. Hidden away behind all of the white fur on his shoulder is a patch of tanned skin. _Human_ skin. _Drew's_ human skin. I gape at him in disbelief. "Y-you have skin! There's_ human skin_ on your shoulder!" I tell him.

His eyes widen and he cranes his head to get a look at his shoulder. I assist him by holding his long fur away from the skin, revealing all of its tanned glory to him. And, just like me, his mouth falls open in shock.

_I have skin! _he cries in my head. _I actually have skin! Does this mean—_

I cut him off. He doesn't need to finish. I know what it means. We both know what it means. "We have to get to the beach, _now_," I tell him.

He doesn't argue, and, together, we hurry out of the trees and onto the beach. I can't remember the last time I was _this_ happy to see sand and the ocean. But then, something begins to emerge from the ocean. The silhouette climbs onto the shore. Dread instantly settles in when I register that it's another pokémon.

And I find myself looking into the navy eyes of a samurott.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Long chapter, eh? Quite a lot of pokémon died, too. And I left you guys with another cliffhanger! I'm sorry! I'll try not to keep you guys waiting too long for the next update. I'm really eager to write the next chapter, now! Thanks for reading, please review, and I'll hopefully see you all again soon! Well, not technically _see_, but you get what I mean. :P


	10. AUTHOR'S NOTE

To my readers,

I just have to say, I'm really sorry for this let down. Throughout the entire lifetime of this story, I haven't been as dedicated of an author as I have been for my other Contestshipping fic, _Love Unexpected_, despite all of the wonderful support you've all given me. The reason for that, I don't know. My updates for this story have been inconsistent, and this is the longest I have ever gone without updating. For this, I'm really sorry, but I can't seem to keep writing for this story.

Sure, I have the entire plot down and everything, but I'm lacking the inspiration to get the ideas written into words. No matter how hard I try, I keep getting stopped by Writer's Block. It really has become a major problem for me, so I just wanted to tell you all now that I will be discontinuing this story for the time being. Unfortunate, considering the fact that I only have five chapters left...

But I'm not stopping it for good! It will only be discontinued until I can think of another plot for the story, which will hopefully be soon since I'm already coming up with a lot of ideas. When I get done with that, I'm going to delete this story, and then post the new one up. It will definitely have the same title, same idea, and most of the same events, but many things will be altered as well.

Until that time comes, please be patient with me. Once I get done with my other fic, _Love Unexpected_, I will get right to work on the rewriting process. I promise—and this time, I _swear_ I'm going through with this promise—that I will completely dedicate all of my writing time to the new _Absol_, and I _will_ be updating every weekend like I did for _Love Unexpected_. I was successful in doing it for _LU_, so I will be for the rewritten version of this story, too—I can guarantee it. It will be my big fanfiction project for the upcoming school year like _LU _was for last year!

For the time being, I'd like to ask all of you to be patient with me. I will be posting another author's note after this one about three days before I post the first chapter of the rewritten version. Hopefully, you guys will continue to support me despite how bad of an author I was for this story. Please continue to support me when the new one comes around, and I will be sure to follow through with the rewritten version and be as dedicated to it as I was _Love Unexpected_.

With all of that said, I'd like to thank all of you for all of the support this far. Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you all soon when the rewritten version of _Absol_ takes form. Thank you.

Much love,  
>Mademoisella<p> 


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